Rikubetsu Town in Hokkaido Records Minus 26 Degrees

Dec 19, 2025 | News On Japan

HOKKAIDO, Dec 19, 2025 (News On Japan) - Eastern Hokkaido saw its coldest temperatures of the 2025 winter season again on the morning of December 19th, with authorities urging caution over icy roads as freezing conditions spread across the region.

The day’s lowest temperature was recorded in Rikubetsu Town, where the mercury plunged to minus 26 degrees Celsius, marking the coldest reading of the season so far, while Sapporo also fell below minus 5 degrees for the first time in six days.

“Road surfaces where snow has melted become uneven and extremely slippery,” reporter Hika Higashikoba said while surveying conditions in Sapporo.

“It’s terrible. You just slide,” one Sapporo resident said, while another added, “The frozen patches are frightening.”

According to the Sapporo Fire Bureau, a total of 403 people have been transported to hospital this season after slipping on snowy or icy roads in the city, the highest figure recorded in the past seven years.

Temperatures are expected to rise sharply from the afternoon of December 19th, with forecasts showing significantly warmer-than-average conditions over the weekend.

Officials are warning residents to remain alert to rapid changes in road conditions and the risk of falling snow and ice as temperatures fluctuate.

Source: 北海道ニュースUHB

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