Where to See Snow for the First Time in Hokkaido: Snow Play Spots and When Snow Is Guaranteed [2026-27]

In Sapporo, Asahikawa and Furano, snow is guaranteed from late December through February. According to the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) normals, Sapporo’s maximum snow depth is 47 cm in December, 76 cm in January and 95 cm in February. In November the figures vary: Sapporo 15 cm, Asahikawa 27 cm and Chitose 6 cm (Japan Meteorological Agency, climate normals (1991–2020), checked 2026-10-05).

If this is your first time seeing snow, it helps to split your plan in two: November is for “seeing snow” only, and late December onward is for “playing in snow.”

This article is written for people coming to Hokkaido from places without snow, especially travelers from Taiwan and Southeast Asia. It shows when snow settles, using figures for each location, then covers snow-play facilities near Sapporo where you can borrow gear and go empty-handed, winter clothing, and how to get around if you are not used to driving on snowy roads. Normals are typical values for an average year, not a forecast for your travel day.

For facility opening dates, I have separated those with a 2026-27 season announcement from those without one.

From which month is snow guaranteed? Monthly snowfall and snow depth by location

In short, snow cover is stable from December to March, and late December to February is the most reliable. In November, Asahikawa and Furano get a lot of snow, while the Pacific side, including Obihiro and Kushiro, gets almost none. First, look at monthly snowfall (the total depth of snow that falls). The table below lists the normals by location from the JMA climate normals (1991–2020) (checked 2026-10-05).

Location	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar
Sapporo	30cm	113cm	137cm	116cm	74cm
Chitose (the city where New Chitose Airport is located)	10cm	44cm	63cm	64cm	42cm
Asahikawa	82cm	158cm	125cm	97cm	80cm
Furano	72cm	159cm	145cm	121cm	110cm
Obihiro	10cm	51cm	52cm	37cm	36cm
Kushiro	4cm	26cm	32cm	27cm	31cm
Hakodate	18cm	79cm	91cm	74cm	41cm

Snowfall is the total snow that fell during the month. How deep the snow actually lies on the ground is shown by the maximum snow depth below. If you want to play in snow or see snowy scenery, this is the figure to use.

Location	Nov	Dec	Jan	Feb	Mar
Sapporo	15cm	47cm	76cm	95cm	82cm
Chitose	6cm	18cm	38cm	46cm	41cm
Asahikawa	27cm	58cm	72cm	84cm	82cm
Furano	23cm	46cm	64cm	73cm	71cm
Obihiro	7cm	36cm	57cm	63cm	57cm
Kushiro	3cm	17cm	23cm	26cm	23cm
Hakodate	9cm	22cm	34cm	41cm	28cm

There are two tips for reading these tables. First, Sapporo’s deepest snow is 95 cm in February, and Asahikawa still has 82 cm in March, so the deepest snow comes in February and March rather than January. Second, there are big regional differences: in January, Sapporo has 76 cm while Kushiro has 23 cm. The Pacific side of eastern Hokkaido is cold but gets little snow, so it is a little disappointing if you are hoping to see a landscape buried in snow.

Can you see snow in Hokkaido in November? Yes, in Asahikawa and Furano

Yes, but you need to choose the place and the timing. According to JMA normals, the first snowfall of the season comes on October 19 in Asahikawa, October 28 in Sapporo, November 1 in Obihiro and Hakodate, and November 7 in Kushiro (Sapporo District Meteorological Observatory, normals for first snowfall and more, statistics from August 1990 to July 2020, checked 2026-10-05). For more on how to read first-snow dates, see When Is the First Snow in Hokkaido? Effects on Campervan Trips and Last-Minute Tips.

Early and late November are like different seasons. Looking at the normal snowfall for each ten-day period, Asahikawa goes 13 cm, 27 cm and 42 cm for the early, middle and late parts of the month, and Furano goes 10 cm, 23 cm and 39 cm. Sapporo gets 3 cm, 11 cm and 17 cm, Chitose 2 cm, 1 cm and 8 cm, and Obihiro stays at 1 cm, 2 cm and 7 cm (JMA climate normals (1991–2020), checked 2026-10-05). If you want to see real snowy scenery in November, late November around Asahikawa and Furano is the candidate. Around Sapporo and New Chitose Airport, even late November has a mix of days with and without snow on the ground.

For a first-time visitor, snow in November is a happy experience, but the places where you can play are limited, as the next section explains. A realistic plan is to see snow in November and to save serious snow play for late December or later.

Where can you play in snow empty-handed? Three places near Sapporo and when they open

I list only facilities whose opening periods and prices I could confirm on their official websites. All are within driving distance of central Sapporo, and you can borrow sleds, snowshoes and similar gear at the facility. In this research, I could not confirm any facility that is open in November on the official sites.

Facility	2026-27 opening	Snow activities	Rentals and prices
Takino Suzuran Hillside Park (Minami Ward, Sapporo)	Winter opening: December 23 to March 31, 9:00–16:00 (official opening information). Closed for winter from November 11 to December 22	Tube sledding (with a 200 m course), plastic sleds, snowshoeing, building snowmen in the forest	Tube sleds, plastic sleds and snowshoes are free to borrow. Rubber boots and gloves are paid rentals at ¥1,500 each per day. Parking is ¥500 for a standard car (cash only)
Hitsujigaoka Snow Park (Sapporo Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill)	January 8 to March 7, 2027, 10:00–15:00	Eight activities, including tube sliding, a mini slide, kamakura (snow hut), cross-country skiing and snowshoeing	Tubes, sleds, skis and more are free to borrow. No winter clothing rental. Admission during the period is ¥1,000 for adults, ¥500 for elementary and junior high school students, and free for preschoolers
Moerenuma Park (Higashi Ward, Sapporo)	2026-27 is not yet listed on the official rental page. In 2025-26, sleds and rubber boots were available from mid-December to March 22	Sled rental, cross-country ski course (the free course is about 3.0 km)	In 2025-26, sleds were ¥500 (up to 3 hours) and rubber boots were ¥300 (up to 3 hours). Closed on Mondays

Takino Suzuran Hillside Park is a good “beginner” place for snow play

This is a national government park, and the tube sled slope is free to use. Single-rider tubes are for ages 4 and up, and children aged 3 and under ride with someone aged 10 or older (checked 2026-10-05). The snow play page says you can “build a snowman in the forest where the snow is not packed down, or lie down on the snow.” It is a place for people touching snow for the first time to enjoy the snow itself without skiing (checked 2026-10-05).

It opens on December 23 and is closed for the winter from November 11 to December 22 (official opening information, checked 2026-10-05). Please check the official operations page on the day for the sled slope status that year.

Hitsujigaoka Snow Park is easy to combine with sightseeing

An observation hill inside Sapporo turns into a snow playground only in winter. The official page lists the period and prices for January 8 to March 7, 2027 (Hitsujigaoka Snow Park, checked 2026-10-05). However, the date and time column for each activity on the same page still shows last season’s dates (January 9 to March 8, 2026). Please check the official site for the dates and times of individual activities before you go.

There is one more thing: the official top page says the facility will close from April 1, 2027 for renovation (checked 2026-10-05). That makes this winter worth considering as your chance to visit.

Moerenuma Park is waiting for its 2026-27 announcement

The rental page for Moerenuma Park shows the 2025-26 season. Sleds and rubber boots were available from mid-December 2025 to March 22, 2026, 10:00–16:00 (last return), closed on Mondays, and rented at the shop on the first floor of the Glass Pyramid (official rental page, checked 2026-10-05). The 2026-27 schedule has not been posted yet, so please check the official site before you leave.

If you arrive in November, can you not play in snow? Splitting your trip at late December makes it easier to decide

Lining up the three facilities above, the opening dates confirmed officially are from December 23 onward. In November, Takino Suzuran Hillside Park is closed for the winter, and Hitsujigaoka Snow Park opens on January 8. If you arrive in Hokkaido in November, you will not be disappointed if you think of the trip as seeing snowy scenery around Asahikawa and Furano rather than aiming to play in snow.

If you can choose your dates, I recommend late December through the first half of February, when snow cover is stable. A comparison by season is organized in The Best Season for a Hokkaido Campervan Trip. If you want to see snowy scenery in northern Hokkaido, A Winter Campervan Trip to Shibetsu and Nayoro is another option.

What clothes and shoes should you wear for your first snow?

In winter, the average daily high in January is -0.4°C and the daily low is -6.4°C in Sapporo; in Asahikawa the high is -3.3°C and the low is -11.7°C, and in Obihiro the low is -13.0°C (JMA climate normals (1991–2020), checked 2026-10-05). Because there are many days below freezing, it is not only a warm jacket but also waterproof gloves and shoes that decide how you feel. A detailed monthly temperature table is in Winter Temperatures in Hokkaido.

The official FAQ of Hitsujigaoka Snow Park is specific about what to wear. It says a warm coat such as a down jacket is fine if you only experience snow briefly, waterproof gloves are needed if you will touch snow for a long time, and a hat, earmuffs, a scarf and non-slip snow shoes are reassuring to have. It also suggests that people coming from places without snow can buy these at a home improvement store or large supermarket after arriving in Hokkaido (official FAQ, found on the Hitsujigaoka Snow Park page, checked 2026-10-05). At the same facility, tubes and sleds can be borrowed for free, but winter clothing such as ski wear and gloves cannot be rented.

Sneakers are not enough. The snowshoe page of Takino Suzuran Hillside Park asks for shoes that cover the ankle and says “rubber boots are fine, sneakers are not allowed” (official, checked 2026-10-05). The park’s rental lineup includes rubber boots (snow boots) at ¥1,500 per day and gloves and hats at ¥1,500 each, but quantities are limited (official rental page, checked 2026-10-05). At Moerenuma Park, rubber boots were ¥300 per rental in 2025-26.

Not used to driving on snowy roads. How should you get around?

If you are not used to it, the safer plan is to build in days when you do not drive. Hitsujigaoka Snow Park can also be reached by public transport. According to the official FAQ, between 9:00 and 17:59 there are one to three buses per hour to the nearest subway station, Fukuzumi (checked 2026-10-05). The official access page of Takino Suzuran Hillside Park does not list winter bus times (it only lists the summer bus period, April 19 to November 10, 2026). If you go by train and bus in winter, please ask about the service in advance (official access page, checked 2026-10-05).

From New Chitose Airport to central Sapporo, the JR Rapid Airport train takes about 40 minutes (as described on the access page of Takino Suzuran Hillside Park, checked 2026-10-05). One option is to take the train into Sapporo on arrival day and rent a car after you get used to snowy roads. For how to think about driving on the days you rent a car, see The Complete Guide to Winter Campervan Driving in Hokkaido, and for equipment and how to spend the time, see A Winter Campervan Trip Guide for Hokkaido.

Whether you can rent with a foreign license depends on the country or region. If you will drive on a license from Taiwan or elsewhere, check the required documents first in Can You Rent a Campervan in Hokkaido with a Foreign Driver’s License?

When renting, check the tires for your rental dates (whether they are winter tires) and whether winter equipment such as heating is included. Which tires are fitted and when differs by company, so asking at the time of booking is the safest way. For how to think about the changeover timing, see Hokkaido Campervans: When Are Studless Tires Fitted?.

What about doing your first snow play with a campervan and children?

If you have small children, limiting your snow-play spots to near Sapporo makes it easier to get around. Winter travel tips for families are covered in A Winter Campervan Trip with Kids, and staying warm while sleeping in the vehicle is covered in How to Sleep Warm in a Campervan in Winter. If you want a broader view of things you can only do in winter, 43 Things Only Available in Hokkaido in Winter will also help.

Takino Suzuran Hillside Park has a rule that single-rider tubes are for ages 4 and up (official, checked 2026-10-05). What children can ride depends on their age, so please check the official rules before you go. Hitsujigaoka Snow Park has a Snow Strider limited to ages 2 to 5 (official, checked 2026-10-05).

What should you decide and check before departure? A checklist

Here is what we have covered so far, rearranged in order.

• Decide: if you only want to see snow, go to the Asahikawa and Furano area in late November; if you want to play in snow, go near Sapporo from late December to the first half of February
• On the official website of each facility, check the 2026-27 opening dates and the operating status on the day (Takino from December 23, Hitsujigaoka from January 8, Moerenuma Park awaiting announcement)
• Prepare waterproof gloves and rubber boots or snow boots that cover the ankle. If you do not have them, buy them at a home improvement store in Sapporo or use the facility’s rental
• On days when you go by train and bus, check the winter timetable in advance. Winter bus times for Takino Suzuran Hillside Park are not listed on its official access page
• On the day you rent a car, ask about the tires for your rental dates and winter equipment when booking. If you are worried about driving, use public transport on the first day
• If you will drive on a foreign license, check the required documents first

Pages to read next

• A Winter Campervan Trip with Kids: Staying Warm, Indoor Play and Health Tips
• 43 Things Only Available in Hokkaido in Winter, and Where You Can Stay Nearby
• Winter Temperatures in Hokkaido: November–February Lows and Vehicle Camping Gear
• A Winter Campervan Trip Guide for Hokkaido
• Can You Rent a Campervan in Hokkaido with a Foreign Driver’s License?