Hokkaido in November: weather, snow and what to wear

Averages for 1991–2020 from the JMA station in each place. Tap a heading to sort.

• The most wet days (1 mm or more of rain or snow) are in Kutchan (19.9 days), the fewest in Obihiro (6.4 days).
• Precipitation ranges from 54.2 mm in Obihiro to 182.8 mm in Kutchan.
• Obihiro gets the most sunshine (168 hours in the month) and Wakkanai the least (56 hours).
• Every place here is colder than Tokyo, where the average high in November is 16.7°C.

* Furano: days with snow 5 cm or deeper (AMeDAS stations count only that). Elsewhere: 1 cm or deeper.

Kutchan is the JMA station for the Niseko ski area (Grand Hirafu is in Kutchan town). Slopes higher up are colder.

Average high and low for each ten days of November (JMA ten-day normals, 1991–2020).

In Sapporo, the average high is 11.8°C in the first ten days of November, 8.4°C in the middle ten and 6.0°C in the last ten.

Every place here is at least 2°C colder by the end of November than at the start.

Snowfall is the total for the month; deepest snow is the average of each year's deepest (JMA, 1991–2020).

• The deepest snow is in Kutchan (36 cm), then Asahikawa (27 cm) and Furano (23 cm).
• Bring waterproof shoes with a good grip for Sapporo, Asahikawa, Otaru, Kutchan, Furano, Abashiri and Wakkanai: snow lies on the ground for 5 days or more.
• Snow does not usually lie for long in Hakodate, Obihiro and Kushiro, but snow or sleet falls on 3.0 days or more.

* Furano: days with snow 5 cm or deeper (AMeDAS stations count only that). Elsewhere: 1 cm or deeper.

How we choose: from the JMA's average high and low for November, by our own rules.

In November the clothing level runs from Cold in Sapporo, Asahikawa, Otaru, Kutchan, Furano, Obihiro, Kushiro, Abashiri and Wakkanai to Chilly in Hakodate, so pack for the coldest place on your route.

• Gloves and a warm hat: frost on 10 nights or more in Asahikawa, Kutchan, Furano, Obihiro, Kushiro, Abashiri and Wakkanai.

• Our clothing rules

The first yellow ginkgo leaves in Hokkaido in an average year is in Hakodate on 2 November.

The first red maple leaves in Hokkaido in an average year is in Hakodate on 2 November.

Dates are for one sample tree at or near the JMA observatory, not for every park in the city.

National holidays in November 2026:

• Tue 3 November — Culture Day
• Mon 23 November — Labor Thanksgiving Day

• Sat 21 November to Mon 23 November: 3 days off in a row

Hotels and inns in Hokkaido were 54.2% full in November 2025 (Japan as a whole: 65.4%).

• Holidays in November

One place in November

• Sapporo in November
• Hakodate in November

Hokkaido in other months

• Hokkaido in January
• Hokkaido in February
• Hokkaido in March
• Hokkaido in April
• Hokkaido in December
• Hokkaido by month

Other regions in November

• Kyushu in November
• Shikoku in November
• Tohoku in November
• Japan in November