JAPAN SNOWSTORM — Sapporo BURIED Overnight, 100 MPH Gusts & COLDER Blast Coming (Latest Updates)

A powerful early-winter storm slammed Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost main island, on Saturday, November 7, 2026. Sapporo got its first snow cover of the season overnight. Wind gusts at Erimo Cape reached about 101 mph. The storm was driven by a rapidly strengthening low over the Sea of Okhotsk and the coldest air of the season. Sapporo woke up under about 4 inches of snow. Inland Fukagawa had 9 inches by morning, and temperatures fell by roughly 23°F in a day. Near Lake Toya, a van slid off a snowy road and fell into a creek, killing one man. As of Saturday evening, winter crashes across Hokkaido have left one person dead and two in critical condition. Wet, heavy snow prompted warnings for snow buildup on power lines, with the risk of falling trees and outages. Waves up to 23 feet were forecast, and surf topped a seawall in Tomamae. Ferry sailings from Otaru, Tomakomai and Hakodate were canceled. In this video, we cover the record November winds, the first deadly crash of the season, and the sea-effect snow behind this storm. We also look at the Japan Meteorological Agency's early warning that western Hokkaido could see roughly three times its normal snowfall from around November 8. An even colder blast is forecast for Monday night into Tuesday. Global Weather covers natural disasters and extreme weather events as they develop, using sourced reporting and avoiding unsupported speculation. CHAPTERS 00:20 — Hokkaido Flips From Autumn to Winter Overnight 00:56 — Sapporo Buried Under First Snow of the Season 01:32 — Why Hokkaido Snow Came Early This Year 02:08 — 97 MPH Gusts Slam Erimo Cape 02:45 — DEADLY Crash Near Lake Toya 03:22 — Winter Crashes Across Hokkaido 03:59 — Heavy Snow Threatens Power Lines 04:36 — 23-Foot Waves and Ferries Canceled 05:12 — What Caused This Storm 05:49 — Japan's Version of Lake-Effect Snow 06:25 — Once-in-a-Decade Snow Warning 07:02 — Hokkaido's Recent Record Winters 07:39 — 101 MPH Gust and What Comes Next SOURCES Japan Meteorological Agency Japan Weather Association (tenki.jp) Weathernews HBC Hokkaido Broadcasting STV Sapporo Television HTB Hokkaido Television Shin Nihonkai Ferry NASA Earth Observatory The Japan Times #HokkaidoSnowstorm #Hokkaido #Sapporo #JapanSnow #JapanWeather #Blizzard #WinterStorm #ErimoCape #ExtremeWeather #NaturalDisaster #GlobalWeather