Sapporo month by month
Plan your visit to Sapporo by month. Compare weather, crowds, events, and prices across all twelve months with historical climate data.
Sapporo's measured year runs from January's average high of -3°C to the July-August plateau at 27°C. That range splits the calendar into four bands. December through February holds at or below freezing (0°C, -3°C, -1°C). February adds 16 rain days, the joint highest in the year. March through May climbs from 4°C to 17°C. The March-to-April step alone spans 8 degrees. June through September stays above 22°C, and September records the fewest rain days at 11. October and November slide back toward winter at 16°C and 9°C.
The 12 month guides below cover every period in that arc. For warmth and dry weather, open September first. For cold-season travel, start with February, which pairs -1°C highs with the year's joint-highest rain count at 16 days. Compare July and August side by side. They share the same 27°C high but split on precipitation, 12 rain days in July against 16 in August. Spring visitors will want the April page, since March's 4°C and April's 12°C feel like different seasons.
September is Sapporo's most decisive month at 23°C and 11 rain days, the year's lowest count.
- January
- High
- -3°C
- Low
- -11°C
- Rain
- 80 mm
January in Sapporo is, first and foremost, cold. Not the kind of cold where you throw on a jacket and carry on: this is proper, bone-deep winter, with average highs around -3°C…
- February
- High
- -1°C
- Low
- -9°C
- Rain
- 79 mm
February is Sapporo's headline month, and there's really no way around it: the Sapporo Snow Festival draws close to two million visitors over roughly a week in early February,…
- March
- High
- 4°C
- Low
- -5°C
- Rain
- 82 mm
March in Sapporo is, frankly, still winter. That's the single most important thing to understand before booking. While Tokyo might be gearing up for cherry blossoms and Osaka is…
- April
- High
- 12°C
- Low
- 2°C
- Rain
- 102 mm
April in Sapporo is the city shaking off winter. That's the headline, while Tokyo's cherry blossoms are already falling by early April, Sapporo is still waiting for its own to…
- May
- High
- 17°C
- Low
- 8°C
- Rain
- 106 mm
May is when Sapporo finally loosens winter's grip. This city holds onto cold longer than anywhere else in Japan, so when cherry blossoms open in early May (a full month behind…
- June
- High
- 22°C
- Low
- 13°C
- Rain
- 119 mm
June in Sapporo comes with a secret that the rest of Japan would rather you didn't know: Hokkaido largely skips the rainy season. While Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto are deep in tsuyu:…
- July
- High
- 27°C
- Low
- 19°C
- Rain
- 131 mm
July is when the rest of Japan melts (Tokyo and Osaka sit in a thick 35°C (95°F) soup) and Sapporo becomes the country's great escape. Daytime temperatures hover around 27°C…
- August
- High
- 27°C
- Low
- 19°C
- Rain
- 163 mm
August in Sapporo is, first and foremost, Japan's great escape from summer. While Tokyo and Osaka cook under relentless 35°C (95°F) heat and thick humidity, Sapporo sits…
- September
- High
- 23°C
- Low
- 14°C
- Rain
- 131 mm
September is when Sapporo starts to feel like itself again after the muggy weight of midsummer. Daytime highs settle around 22.8°C (73°F) and nights drop to a genuinely refreshing…
- October
- High
- 16°C
- Low
- 7°C
- Rain
- 115 mm
October is when Sapporo puts on its best coat: literally. The city's parks and university campuses shift into deep reds and burnt golds as autumn foliage reaches its peak, and the…
- November
- High
- 9°C
- Low
- 0°C
- Rain
- 123 mm
November in Sapporo sits in an awkward gap between seasons. The golden ginkgo canopy along Hokkaido University's famous Ichonamiki has likely shed its last leaves by mid-month, and…
- December
- High
- 0°C
- Low
- -7°C
- Rain
- 69 mm
December marks Sapporo's full surrender to winter. The city typically sees its first lasting snowfall in late November, and by mid-December the streets, parks, and rooftops carry a…