Japan First Snow: Sapporo, Hakodate, Muroran; Tateyama Caps

A strong cold air mass moved in on Wednesday, October 28, bringing snow to Hokkaido and Tohoku. First-snow reports have come in from Sapporo and other cities, and news of first snow on mountain peaks is continuing on Honshu.

First snow in Sapporo, Hakodate and Muroran

Local meteorological observatories in Hokkaido announced that Sapporo, Hakodate and Muroran recorded their first snow early on October 28. Sapporo's first snow came on the same date as the long-term average, five days later than last year. Hakodate was four days earlier than average and Muroran five days earlier. Wakkanai and Asahikawa had already recorded first snow on October 22, so these reports follow on from those. ^[1]

At Sukayu in Aomori Prefecture, snow cover was recorded for the first time this season: 3 cm as of 5 a.m. ^[2]

First snow caps on Tateyama and Mt. Iwate

On October 27, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) announced the season's first snow cap (the first snow seen on a mountain's summit area, known as hatsu-kanasetsu) on Tateyama in the Northern Alps. Starting this season, JMA has changed its method from visual observation to analyzing snow cover from weather data, so a simple comparison with average years or last year is not possible. ^[3][4]

For Mt. Iwate, it was reported that JMA posted on its website on October 28 that it had analyzed a first snow cap. ^[5]

tenki.jp reports that first snow caps have also been noted on Mt. Gassan (Yamagata), Mt. Hakusan (Ishikawa) and Mt. Hotaka (Gunma). Gassan and Hakusan are among the mountains for which JMA observes first snow caps. However, we could not confirm JMA's own announcements for these two, so we do not give dates. ^[2][6]

Heavy snow possible in Hokkaido on the 28th

As of the 27th, Japan Weather Association's tenki.jp said snowfall in Hokkaido on the 28th could exceed 30 cm in some places. Snow is expected to settle in the mountains, and first snow caps are forecast for Mt. Meakan, Mt. Washibetsu and Mt. Yokotsu. From the 29th onward, the week is expected to bring many rainy or snowy days. ^[7]

Check mountain and slope snow on live cams

You can see conditions in the mountains around Sapporo on the live cams at Sapporo Teine, Sapporo Kokusai and Kiroro. First snow in town is not the same as snow on the slopes. Wait for each resort's official announcement before assuming it is open. Resorts that have already opened are listed on our opening information page.

Sources

1. First snow in Sapporo, Hakodate and Muroran; Sapporo five days later than last season (Weathernews, in Japanese)
2. Oct 28: snow and rain in parts of Hokkaido and Tohoku, first snow in Sapporo and elsewhere, storm winds on the coast (tenki.jp via Yahoo! News Japan, in Japanese)
3. First snow cap observed on Tateyama (NHK, in Japanese)
4. First snow cap on Tateyama; observation method changed from 2026 (Kita-Nihon Shimbun webun, in Japanese)
5. Breaking: JMA analyzes first snow cap on Mt. Iwate (IAT Iwate Asahi TV via Yahoo! News Japan, in Japanese)
6. Observation of first snow caps (JMA, July 31, 2026, in Japanese)
7. Hokkaido: over 30 cm of snow possible on the 28th; time to switch to winter tires (Oct 27, 2026, Japan Weather Association tenki.jp, in Japanese)

Prepared with AI assistance from public sources. Always check each resort's official website for the latest information.