Hokkaido in February: Temperature & What to Wear, Cold During the Snow Festival and Drift-Ice Season, and What to Watch When Sleeping in the Vehicle [2027]

In Hokkaido, February is the stretch from the depths of winter toward spring. Sapporo’s normal daily minimum temperature is -7.0°C in early February, -6.1°C in mid February, and -5.4°C in late February. At all 11 locations, the minimum is higher in mid month than in early month, and higher in late month than in mid month. Even so, inland Furano drops to -15.5°C in early month and Chitose to -13.8°C, and even in late February four locations still stay at or below 0°C in the daytime: Asahikawa, Furano, Abashiri, and Wakkanai (JMA website, 10-day normal values, 1991–2020, verified 2026-10-14).

This article lines up the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) climatological normals for 11 locations by early, mid, and late February, and turns them into clothing and sleeping-in-the-vehicle preparation. We will introduce the early/mid/late-January article as part of the same series once it is published. For the previous month, the article on December temperatures and what to wear is of the same type, and going back further, so are the article on November temperatures and what to wear and the article on October temperatures and what to wear. Climatological normals are a typical-year guide, not a forecast for your travel date.

How Low Does Hokkaido Get in February? Early Month Is the Coldest, and More Locations Rise Above 0°C by Late Month

In Sapporo in February, the daily maximum is -0.5°C in early month, 0.2°C in mid month, and 1.7°C in late month. The daily minimum is -7.0°C in early month, -6.1°C in mid month, and -5.4°C in late month. For the whole month, the maximum is 0.4°C, the minimum -6.2°C, and the mean temperature -2.7°C (JMA website, monthly normal values, 1991–2020, verified 2026-10-14). Early month is the only ten-day period in which the daytime stays below freezing; by late month it rises to 1.7°C.

In early February, only 2 of the 11 locations have a daytime maximum above 0°C: Hakodate (0.8°C) and Muroran (0.1°C). In mid month it is 4 locations (Sapporo, Hakodate, Muroran, and Date), and in late month 7 locations (Sapporo, Chitose, Hakodate, Muroran, Date, Obihiro, and Kushiro) (JMA website, 10-day normal values, 1991–2020, verified 2026-10-14). Even within the same February, the daytime scenery differs between early and late month.

Lining up the six ten-day periods of January and February, early February is the period with the lowest minimum at eight locations: Sapporo, Muroran, Date, Asahikawa, Furano, Kushiro, Abashiri, and Wakkanai. Obihiro has the same -13.4°C in early February and in mid and late January, and Chitose and Hakodate are lowest in mid-January (same source, verified 2026-10-14).

Morning Lows Differ by Nearly 11°C Depending on Where You Go: Check the Table of 11 Locations by Ten-Day Period

Hokkaido is large enough to hold the whole of Honshu, so “Hokkaido in February” can’t be described with a single number. Comparing early-month daily minimums, Furano is -15.5°C, Chitose -13.8°C, Obihiro -13.4°C, and Asahikawa -13.1°C. The mildest, Muroran, is -4.6°C, a 10.9°C difference from Furano. Even around New Chitose Airport, Sapporo (-7.0°C) and Chitose (-13.8°C) differ by 6.8°C.

The table below lists the daily maximum and daily minimum temperatures for early, mid, and late February at 11 locations. Figures are in the order “maximum／minimum”, in °C.

Location	Early February Max／Min	Mid February Max／Min	Late February Max／Min
Sapporo	-0.5／-7.0	0.2／-6.1	1.7／-5.4
Chitose (near New Chitose Airport) *1	-1.3／-13.8	-0.1／-12.1	0.7／-11.6
Hakodate	0.8／-6.3	1.6／-5.7	3.2／-4.7
Muroran	0.1／-4.6	0.9／-4.0	2.1／-3.2
Date (Lake Toya area) *2	-0.3／-7.9	1.0／-6.4	2.1／-6.0
Asahikawa	-3.0／-13.1	-1.7／-11.2	-0.1／-10.9
Furano	-3.6／-15.5	-2.3／-13.3	-0.6／-13.1
Obihiro	-1.5／-13.4	0.0／-11.7	1.2／-10.5
Kushiro	-0.8／-10.6	0.0／-9.2	0.7／-8.2
Abashiri (a guide for Shiretoko)	-2.8／-10.4	-2.3／-9.5	-0.6／-8.6
Wakkanai	-2.9／-7.4	-2.4／-6.8	-0.6／-5.7

Three points on reading the table. First, the minimum rises with each ten-day period at all 11 locations, and the rise from early to late month ranges from 1.4°C in Muroran to 2.9°C in Obihiro. Second, even in late month the minimum is still below -10°C at four locations: Chitose (-11.6°C), Asahikawa (-10.9°C), Furano (-13.1°C), and Obihiro (-10.5°C). Third, the gap between the daily maximum and minimum is 11.7°C in late-month Obihiro (1.2°C／-10.5°C) and 7.1°C in late-month Sapporo (1.7°C／-5.4°C). Inland areas swing sharply between daytime and morning, so how you prepare for morning and night decides the quality of your trip (JMA website, 10-day normal values, 1991–2020, verified 2026-10-14).

What Temperatures Should You Expect in Sapporo During the Snow Festival and Abashiri During the Drift-Ice Season?

This article does not cover the 2027 Sapporo Snow Festival and drift-ice dates. For parking and overnight bases around the venues, see the article on Sapporo Snow Festival by campervan; for how to get around Abashiri, Monbetsu, and Shiretoko during the drift-ice season, see the article on drift ice by campervan rental. Here we put only the figures to read once you have decided which ten-day period you are going.

Sapporo is a maximum of -0.5°C and a minimum of -7.0°C in early month, 0.2°C and -6.1°C in mid month, and 1.7°C and -5.4°C in late month. Abashiri is a maximum of -2.8°C and a minimum of -10.4°C in early month, -2.3°C and -9.5°C in mid month, and -0.6°C and -8.6°C in late month. Abashiri stays below freezing in the daytime in all three ten-day periods, and its minimum also runs about 3°C lower than Sapporo’s (JMA website, 10-day normal values, 1991–2020, verified 2026-10-14). This is a difference large enough that you should avoid going to Abashiri in the same clothing as for Sapporo.

If you are combining the Sapporo Snow Festival and drift ice in a single trip during the Lunar New Year (Spring Festival), the Lunar New Year travel guide explains how to think about the route. You can check the temperature difference between Sapporo and Abashiri in the figures above.

How Does February Change Compared With December and January? A Monthly Table

Comparing the February monthly mean minimum with January, it is higher at six locations: Sapporo (-6.4°C to -6.2°C), Chitose, Hakodate, Obihiro, Kushiro, and Furano. It is slightly lower at three locations: Asahikawa (-11.7°C to -11.8°C), Abashiri (-8.9°C to -9.6°C), and Wakkanai (-6.4°C to -6.7°C). Muroran and Date have the same value as in January. The daily maximum is as high as or higher than January in February at all 11 locations (JMA website, monthly normal values, 1991–2020, verified 2026-10-14).

Location	December Max／Min	January Max／Min	February Max／Min	February mean temperature	February mean wind speed (m/s)
Sapporo	2.0／-4.0	-0.4／-6.4	0.4／-6.2	-2.7	3.4
Chitose (near New Chitose Airport) *1	1.7／-8.9	-1.1／-12.9	-0.3／-12.5	-5.3	3.7
Hakodate	3.2／-3.6	0.9／-6.0	1.8／-5.7	-1.8	3.8
Muroran	2.9／-1.8	0.6／-4.0	1.0／-4.0	-1.6	5.2
Date (Lake Toya area) *2	2.7／-3.9	0.1／-6.8	0.9／-6.8	-2.6	3.1
Asahikawa	-0.8／-8.0	-3.3／-11.7	-1.7／-11.8	-6.0	3.1
Furano	-1.2／-10.2	-3.7／-14.4	-2.3／-14.0	-7.4	1.5
Obihiro	1.0／-8.9	-1.5／-13.0	-0.2／-12.0	-5.7	2.5
Kushiro	2.5／-7.0	-0.2／-9.8	-0.1／-9.4	-4.3	5.5
Abashiri (a guide for Shiretoko)	0.7／-6.0	-2.2／-8.9	-2.0／-9.6	-5.4	3.5
Wakkanai	0.0／-4.2	-2.4／-6.4	-2.0／-6.7	-4.3	4.7

For the overall picture of winter temperatures, see the article on winter temperatures from November to February. This article takes the February part of that and looks at it in finer detail by ten-day period. A year-round comparison is not in the data we obtained this time, so we do not write “February is the coldest” or “it gets warmer from February”; please read this within the December–February range.

Wind figures are included too. February mean wind speed is 5.5 m/s in Kushiro, 5.2 m/s in Muroran, and 4.7 m/s in Wakkanai, against 3.4 m/s in Sapporo and 1.5 m/s in Furano. At the same temperature, windier coastal areas tend to feel colder on the body (JMA website, monthly normal values, 1991–2020, verified 2026-10-14).

How Much Snow Is on the Ground in Hokkaido in February? Normal Maximum Snow Depth

The February normal maximum snow depth is 95 cm in Sapporo, 84 cm in Asahikawa, 73 cm in Furano, 64 cm in Wakkanai, 63 cm in Obihiro, 58 cm in Abashiri, 46 cm in Chitose, 41 cm in Hakodate, 26 cm in Kushiro, and 22 cm in Muroran. At all 10 locations it is deeper than in January, and Sapporo goes up 19 cm, from 76 cm to 95 cm (JMA website, monthly normal values, 1991–2020, verified 2026-10-14).

Location	February maximum snow depth (normal)	For reference: January maximum snow depth
Sapporo	95 cm	76 cm
Chitose (near New Chitose Airport) *1	46 cm	38 cm
Hakodate	41 cm	34 cm
Muroran	22 cm	19 cm
Asahikawa	84 cm	72 cm
Furano	73 cm	64 cm
Obihiro	63 cm	57 cm
Kushiro	26 cm	23 cm
Abashiri (a guide for Shiretoko)	58 cm	46 cm
Wakkanai	64 cm	59 cm

Kushiro and Muroran on the Pacific side have shallow snow but are cold. Treat shallow snow and harsh cold as separate matters.

What Should I Wear? Thinking in Layers Keeps You From Getting Lost

For clothing, it is easier to organize by thinking in layers, as material for readers to judge from the climatological normals. Here we avoid product names and flat statements like “at X°C, wear this”, and write only the role of each layer.

Time Spent Walking Outside (Sightseeing, Shopping, Morning Prep)

• Outerwear: at locations where the daytime maximum is below freezing (in early February: Sapporo, Chitose, Asahikawa, Furano, Obihiro, Kushiro, Abashiri, Wakkanai, and Date), you need something that gives both warmth and wind protection
• Mid layer: one layer of a thickness that is easy to put on and take off when going in and out of buildings
• Base layer: something that doesn’t chill after you sweat (we have not obtained primary sources on which materials are better, so we don’t touch on that here)
• Footwear: since you will be walking in areas with maximum snow depth in the range of 20 to 90 cm (see the maximum snow depth table), shoes suited to snow
• Gloves, hat, neckwear: if you will be outside at locations where the early-month minimum falls below -10°C (Chitose, Asahikawa, Furano, Obihiro, Kushiro, Abashiri), keep them within reach

If you rent at New Chitose Airport and visit both Sapporo and the inland areas, the sure approach is to decide what to bring based on the colder place. Sapporo’s early-month minimum is -7.0°C and Chitose’s is -13.8°C (climatological normals from the JMA website, 10-day normal values, 1991–2020, verified 2026-10-14). In late month the number of locations with daytime above 0°C increases, but the morning minimum stays at -10.9°C in Asahikawa and -13.1°C in Furano.

Time Spent Inside the Vehicle

The temperature inside the vehicle varies with the vehicle model, heating equipment, and where you park. Ask the rental company about the heating equipment and bedding before booking. There are three things to ask.

• Heating: whether the vehicle has heating that can be used with the engine off (such as an FF heater), or has none
• Bedding: the number of sets for the number of people, and the thickness
• Power: whether there is a shore-power input, and the usable range of the auxiliary battery

On Nights With a Minimum of -10°C or Lower: What to Watch For in a Campervan

In early February, the minimum falls below -10°C in Furano (-15.5°C), Chitose (-13.8°C), Obihiro (-13.4°C), Asahikawa (-13.1°C), Kushiro (-10.6°C), and Abashiri (-10.4°C) (JMA website, 10-day normal values, 1991–2020, verified 2026-10-14). On the assumption that you spend such a night in the vehicle, here are some general cautions. For items that need numerical grounds, check with the rental company and the vehicle’s owner’s manual.

• Do not sleep with the engine running. Assume you get heat from the vehicle’s built-in system for sleeping, and follow the rental company’s guidance on how to use the vehicle
• Ask the rental company before booking whether the vehicle has an FF heater. How it works and how to use it are covered in the article on FF heaters
• For protecting the water system from freezing, follow the procedure the rental company gives

For the overall picture of what to check when sleeping in the vehicle in winter, see Winter Overnight Parking in a Hokkaido Campervan: What to Check to Sleep Warm.

What Should I Do on Blizzard or Road-Closure Days?

In Hokkaido in February, your itinerary changes not only with temperature but with road conditions. The sections and periods in which mountain-pass and coastal roads are impassable through the winter are collected in the article on Hokkaido roads that close in winter. On a day when a blizzard is forecast, check road information before departure and decide whether to cut that day’s travel short or not to move from where you are staying.

The temperature figures tell you it falls to around -13 to -15°C in the inland areas in early February. Use them as material for deciding the vehicle and gear you take there.

Pages to Read Next

• Hokkaido Winter Temperatures: November–February Lows and Campervan Overnight-Parking Gear
• Hokkaido in December: Temperature and What to Wear, When Snow Cover Sets In, and Trip Prep Before the Winter Break
• Winter Overnight Parking in a Hokkaido Campervan: What to Check to Sleep Warm
• Hokkaido Roads That Close in Winter: Shiretoko Pass and Other Seasonal Closure Periods, Spring Reopening Dates, and Detours
• Complete Guide to Drift Ice by Campervan Rental: A Hokkaido Winter Trip