Blizzard batters Hokkaido as roads close and flights axed following heavy snow

26th December 2025 – (Sapporo) The Japan Meteorological Agency announced on 26th December that a powerful winter pressure system has prompted a blizzard warning for communities along the Sea of Japan coast in Hokkaido, with severe conditions expected to persist until the evening of 27th December. Snowfall in Sapporo is forecast to reach around 20 centimetres, with the storm already disrupting transport across the region. Multiple expressways have been forced to close, while New Chitose Airport has cancelled 25 flights in anticipation of worsening weather.

According to public broadcaster NHK, wind and snow intensified along Hokkaido’s Sea of Japan coastline through the day. By 5pm on Thursday, instruments in Shinshinotsu recorded a maximum instantaneous wind speed of 28.7 metres per second. Meteorologists forecast that, in the 24-hour period to 6pm the following day, snowfall in many coastal areas facing the Sea of Japan could total up to 50 centimetres, with Sapporo expected to receive about 20 centimetres.

Regional broadcaster Hokkaido Television (HTB) reported that heavy snow has forced the closure of several major highways. The Shiribeshi Expressway and the Sasson Expressway have been shut in their entirety, while the section of the Dōō Expressway between Sapporo Minami and Bibai interchanges has also been closed due to dangerous driving conditions.

Rail services have likewise been hit. Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) said 12 local trains on the Gakuen Toshi Line have been fully or partially suspended. On the Hakodate Line, three local services between Niseko and Kutchan have been cancelled or curtailed following a breakdown involving a snow-clearing machine on the tracks.

At New Chitose Airport, HTB reported that 25 flights have been cancelled, including services to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and Osaka’s Itami Airport. NHK said Japan Airlines has scrapped 16 flights, mainly on routes linking New Chitose and Haneda, while All Nippon Airways has cancelled eight flights, among them services between New Chitose and Wakkanai.