snowingplaces

City in Hokkaido, Japan

Hakodate

Port city at the southern tip of Hokkaido, with snowy winters milder than the rest of the island.

Hakodate snow forecast

Out of season.

Forecasts for Hakodate pause outside the snow season and start again in November. The snow record below shows when it usually snows here.

Where is Hakodate?

Prefecture
Hokkaido
Country
Japan
Elevation
7 m
Population
251,891

When does it snow in Hakodate?

In Hakodate, snow falls on about 8 days in January in a typical year, the snowiest month. Snow is regular from December to March.

Average days per month with at least 1 cm of snowfall in Hakodate, 2016–2025
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
8 days7 days4 days<1 days0 days0 days0 days0 days0 days0 days<1 days6 days

Average days each month with at least 1 cm of snowfall, 2016–2025. Calculated from ERA5 reanalysis data.

Snow in Hakodate month by month

Averages for 2016 to 2025, from ERA5 reanalysis data.

Average snow days, share of annual snowfall and temperature by month in Hakodate, 2016 to 2025
MonthSnow daysShare of the year's snowLow to high
January828%−6 to 0 °C (21 to 32 °F)
February728%−6 to 1 °C (21 to 34 °F)
March418%−1 to 6 °C (30 to 43 °F)
April<13%4 to 11 °C (39 to 52 °F)
May00%9 to 16 °C (48 to 61 °F)
June00%14 to 19 °C (57 to 66 °F)
July00%19 to 24 °C (66 to 75 °F)
August00%20 to 25 °C (68 to 77 °F)
September00%16 to 22 °C (61 to 72 °F)
October00%9 to 16 °C (48 to 61 °F)
November<13%3 to 9 °C (37 to 48 °F)
December620%−4 to 2 °C (25 to 36 °F)

Snow in Hakodate in December

In December, Hakodate gets snow on about 6 days, and the month brings about 20% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −4 to 2 °C (25 to 36 °F).

Snow in Hakodate in January

In January, Hakodate gets snow on about 8 days, and the month brings about 28% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −6 to 0 °C (21 to 32 °F).

Snow in Hakodate in February

In February, Hakodate gets snow on about 7 days, and the month brings about 28% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −6 to 1 °C (21 to 34 °F).

Snow in Hakodate in March

In March, Hakodate gets snow on about 4 days, and the month brings about 18% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −1 to 6 °C (30 to 43 °F).

Which winters were snowiest in Hakodate?

Of the last ten winters in Hakodate, 2017/18 was the snowiest, about 69% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2020/21, about 33% below average. The biggest single day of snowfall in the record was 16 March 2025.

Snowfall in Hakodate for each of the last ten winters, as a percentage of the ten-year average
WinterCompared with average
2016/1789% of average
2017/18169% of average
2018/1987% of average
2019/20109% of average
2020/2167% of average
2021/22118% of average
2022/2368% of average
2023/24106% of average
2024/25109% of average
2025/2679% of average

Winters are compared with each other rather than given in centimetres. The ERA5 record is reliable on which winters were big and which were lean, but it underestimates absolute snowfall in the mountains, so the resort's own measured totals are the ones to trust for amounts.

Questions about snow in Hakodate

Does Hakodate have snow at Christmas?

Hakodate had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Christmas Day in 6 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 20 to 26 December in 7 of those years.

Does Hakodate have snow at New Year?

Hakodate had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on New Year's Day in 9 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 27 December to 2 January in 9 of those years.

Does Hakodate have snow in mid-February?

Hakodate had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on 15 February in 8 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 10 to 20 February in every one of those years.

Does Hakodate have snow at Easter?

Hakodate had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Easter Sunday in none of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during Good Friday to Easter Monday in 2 of those years.

How many days a year does it snow in Hakodate?

It snows on about 26 days a year in Hakodate, counting days with at least 1 cm of snowfall, averaged over 2016 to 2025. January has the most, about 8 days.

What is the snowiest month in Hakodate?

January is the snowiest month in Hakodate, bringing about 28% of the year's snowfall, based on ERA5 reanalysis data for 2016 to 2025.

Which recent winter was the snowiest in Hakodate?

Of the last ten winters in Hakodate, 2017/18 was the snowiest, about 69% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2020/21, about 33% below average.

How cold does Hakodate get in winter?

January is the coldest month in Hakodate, with average daily lows of −6 °C (21 °F) and highs of 0 °C (32 °F).

Snow forecasts near Hakodate

Map of ski resorts and cities within 150 km of HakodateAomori, about 110 km away, out of season; Rusutsu, about 110 km away, no snow this week; Niseko United, about 120 km away, no snow this week.50 km100 km150 kmNAomori: Out of seasonRusutsu: No snow this weekNiseko United: No snow this weekAomoriRusutsuNiseko UnitedHakodate
Blue dots expect snow in the next 7 days. Distances are straight lines, not driving distances.
AomoriCity, about 110 km awayOut of seasonRusutsuSki resort, about 110 km awayNo snow this weekNiseko UnitedSki resort, about 120 km awayNo snow this weekSapporoCity, about 150 km awayOut of season

Nearest ski resorts to Hakodate

More ski resorts in Hokkaido

Sources: Hakodate on Wikidata, Elevation from the Open-Meteo terrain model at the city centre coordinates