On this page, I will introduce about the weather in Hokkaido in November. Beautiful autumn leaves were seen in October, but leaves fall from the deciduous trees in November. Full-fledged winter will come. Please prepare enough winter clothes before you leave for Hokkaido.
Below are articles about the monthly weather in Hokkaido. Click on an article if you want to know more.
| January | February | March |
| April | May | June |
| July | August | September |
| October | November | December |
Below are articles on the weather in Tokyo and Osaka in November.
Table of Contents
- Q & A about Hokkaido in November
- Weather in Hokkaido in November (overview)
- Hokkaido weather in early November
- Hokkaido weather in the middle of November
- Hokkaido weather in late November
- Reference: Current weather and temperature in Hokkaido, forecast for the next 7 days
- Weather in tourist destinations around Japan
Q & A about Hokkaido in November
Does snow fall in November in Hokkaido?
In Hokkaido, it sometimes begins to snow from November. However, the snow has not accumulated yet and will melt. In late November, depending on the area, snow will gradually accumulate.
How cold is Hokkaido in November?
In Hokkaido, winter begins in November. It will still exceed 10 degrees Celsius in the daytime, but will be below freezing in the morning and evening. Hokkaido in November is colder than Tokyo in December.
What kind of clothes should we wear in November in Hokkaido?
You need a court in November. It may be better to wear tights under the pants, especially in late November. It is sometimes slippery with snow in late November. I recommend wearing boots instead of heels. Please refer to the following articles about winter clothes in Japan.
When is the best time to visit Hokkaido?
If you want to see the snow covered landscape, January-February is the best.
Weather in Hokkaido in November (overview)
Temperature change in Hokkaido (Sapporo) in November
※ Based on the data released by the Japan Meteorological Agency. Both high and low temperature data are averages over the past 30 years (1981-2010)
>> Click here for a [quick reference] converted from Celsius to Fahrenheit.
As you can see from this graph, the lowest temperature in Hokkaido (Sapporo) falls to below freezing in late November. Other areas of Japan are still in autumn in November, but you can see that Hokkaido is in winter.
Overview
29 Nov 2015: Hokkaido Shrine in Sapporo. In late November, it sometimes snows like this. However, there is not much snow accumulation = Shutterstock
In Hokkaido, although the daytime maximum temperature still exceeds 10 degrees Celsius many days, the temperature in the morning and evening slows down steadily. In mid-November, the minimum temperature of the day will be around -5 degrees Celsius.
At this moment, beautiful autumnal leaves are seen in Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and so on, in the midst of autumn. However, please beware that the climate of Hokkaido is quite different.
First snow is observed in many areas of Hokkaido in the first half of November. After that, snow falls and the snow melts repeatedly. And, especially around the cold Asahikawa, snow begins to accumulate as early as late November.
If you are not accustomed to driving the snow road, you should refrain from using car rental as much as possible.
If traveling in November, please bring a thick coat etc. It will be really cold in late November, so it would be better to bring a woolen scarf and gloves.
Because the snowy road is slippery, please wear snow boots that do not slip on the sole or wear a non-slip instrument on your shoe sole. Snow boots are also sold in Tokyo and Osaka.
The anti-slip devices are sold at New Chitose International Airport and shoe stores in Sapporo.
In late November, the big ski resort in Hokkaido will start operating. You can enjoy winter sports such as skiing, snowboarding and sledding. Even small children can play snow at ski resorts.
Rental services such as ski boards and ski wear are being done, so you should use such services.
Hokkaido weather in early November
Map of Hokkaido
Weather data in Hokkaido (early November)
| Highest temperature (Lowest temperature) |
Total precipitation (Total snowfall depth) |
|
| Sapporo | 11.6℃ (3.5℃) | 33.2mm (3cm) |
| Otaru | 11.2℃ (3.6℃) | 49.1mm (4cm) |
| Asahikawa | 9.1℃ (0.1℃) | 38.4mm (14cm) |
| Biei | 8.7℃ (-0.7℃) | 33.2mm (9cm) |
| Furano | 9.6℃ (0.1℃) | 33.9mm (8cm) |
| Wakkanai | 9.0℃ (3.5℃) | 39.1mm (5cm) |
| Abashiri | 10.3℃ (2.4℃) | 23.1mm (2cm) |
| Utoro | 10.0℃ (2.4℃) | 39.4mm (1cm) |
| Nemuro | 10.9℃ (4.3℃) | 28.0mm (0cm) |
| Kushiro | 11.2℃ (1.6℃) | 21.4mm (0cm) |
| Obihiro | 11.0℃ (0.7℃) | 18.6mm (0cm) |
| Hakodate | 12.6℃ (3.4℃) | 35.4mm (3cm) |
※ All figures are the average for 30 years of 1981-2010 announced by the Japan Meteorological Agency
Hokkaido at this time seen in photos
5 November 2016: Tourists to explore Nijyo Market in Sapporo, Japan = Shutterstock
Weather and sunrise / sunset time
In early November, there is very little snow in major cities in Hokkaido, such as Sapporo and Hakodate. You can still see the autumn leaves.
However, it is very cold in the morning and evening. In the mountainous areas, winter has already arrived.
Sunset time in Hokkaido is much earlier than Tokyo and Osaka.
The sunrise time in Sapporo in early November is about 6:13. The sunset time is around 16:23.
At Nemuro located on the east side of Hokkaido, the sunrise time is around 5:57. Sunset time of Nemuro is around 16: 05.
Hokkaido weather in the middle of November
Weather data in Hokkaido (middle of November)
| Highest temperature (Lowest temperature) |
Total precipitation (Total snowfall depth) |
|
| Sapporo | 7.9℃ (1.1℃) | 37.3mm (4cm) |
| Otaru | 7.5℃ (1.1℃) | 51.5mm (17cm) |
| Asahikawa | 5.3℃ (-2.1℃) | 40.1mm (39cm) |
| Biei | 4.7℃ (-3.2℃) | 32.5mm (31cm) |
| Furano | 5.6℃ (-2.7℃) | 38.9mm (30cm) |
| Wakkanai | 5.6℃ (0.7℃) | 41.1mm (20cm) |
| Abashiri | 7.0℃ (-0.1℃) | 18.1mm (6cm) |
| Utoro | 6.5℃ (-0.2℃) | 30.2mm (8cm) |
| Nemuro | 8.0℃ (1.6℃) | 31.0mm (1cm) |
| Kushiro | 8.4℃ (-1.2℃) | 20.8mm (1cm) |
| Obihiro | 7.7℃ (-1.5℃) | 17.1mm (2cm) |
| Hakodate | 9.3℃ (1.3℃) | 40.0mm (7cm) |
※ All figures are the average for 30 years of 1981-2010 announced by the Japan Meteorological Agency
Hokkaido at this time seen in photos
November 11, 2018: Fishing boat port located around bay area in the morning. Hakodate city is the southernmost port city of Hokkaido, Japan = Shutterstock
Weather and sunrise / sunset time
In the middle of November, you can see snow in many mountain areas. Even cities such as Sapporo and Otaru may have snow at this time.
In mid-November, the sunrise time in Sapporo is about 6:26. The sunset time is about 16:12.
The sunrise time of Nemuro in Eastern Hokkaido is around 6:10. The sunset time is about 15:54.
Hokkaido weather in late November
Weather data in Hokkaido (late November)
| Highest temperature (Lowest temperature) |
Total precipitation (Total snowfall depth) |
|
| Sapporo | 5.9℃ (-0.6℃) | 33.6mm (19cm) |
| Otaru | 5.6℃ (-0.6℃) | 46.2mm (24cm) |
| Asahikawa | 3.2℃ (-4.0℃) | 38.7mm (54cm) |
| Biei | 2.6℃ (-5.5℃) | 29.7mm (43cm) |
| Furano | 3.3℃ (-4.7℃) | 32.2mm (41cm) |
| Wakkanai | 3.8℃ (-1.1℃) | 40.8mm (28cm) |
| Abashiri | 4.8℃ (-2.0℃) | 18.9mm (10cm) |
| Utoro | 4.7℃ (-2.0℃) | 39.1mm (17cm) |
| Nemuro | 6.1℃ (-0.3℃) | 25.5mm (3cm) |
| Kushiro | 6.5℃ (-3.0℃) | 21.8mm (4cm) |
| Obihiro | 5.4℃ (-3.5℃) | 21.9mm (6cm) |
| Hakodate | 7.1℃ (-0.4℃) | 32.7mm (17cm) |
※ All figures are the average for 30 years of 1981-2010 announced by the Japan Meteorological Agency
Hokkaido at this time seen in photos
November 22, 2017: Hokkaido Shrine in Sapporo City. Snow is seen aside = Shutterstock
Weather and sunrise / sunset time
Hokkaido will be really cold by late November. Even in major cities such as Sapporo, it starts to snow.
Ski areas such as Niseko will start operating at this time.
On the eastern side of Hokkaido, it does not snow as much as the western side such as Sapporo and Otaru. However, it is very cold, so please be careful!
The sunrise time in Sapporo at this time is about 6:38. The sunset time is about 16:04.
The sunrise time at Nemuro is about 6:22. The sunset time is about 15:46.
※ Sunrise and sunset times are based on the 2019 data released by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. I posted the time of the 5th for the beginning of November, the time of the 15th for the middle of November, and the time of the 25th for the end of November.
Reference: Current weather and temperature in Hokkaido, forecast for the next 7 days
Weather in tourist destinations around Japan
Below are pages showing the climates of various regions in Japan at the same time of the year.
| Tokyo | Osaka | Kyoto |
| Hokkaido | Sendai | Nagano |
| Nagoya | Hiroshima | Fukuoka |
| Okinawa |
Thank you for reading to the end.
For Hokkaido, please refer to the following article if you like.
>> Hokkaido! 21 Popular Tourist Areas and 10 Airports
>> Winter Wear in Japan! What should you wear?
>> New Chitose Airport! Access to Sapporo, Niseko, Furano etc.
Now, let’s plan to make your vacation in Japan the best experience ever!
