Sapporo weather by month & the best time to visit
Japan · major coastal city · continental climate
The best time to visit Sapporo is June — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 73/100), with July and September close behind. Sapporo averages about 1,696 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 21°C / 70°F and roughly 86 mm of rain in June.
When is the best time to visit Sapporo?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Sapporo is June, then July and September. The dullest month is January (0/100, 83 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Sapporo?
Sapporo isn't a sunny place by world standards: about 1,696 hours of sunshine a year. 73 Sunshine Score points separate June (73) from January (0), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #47 of 79 destinations in Japan for annual sunshine, below the national median of 1,773 hours. The year's 1,206 mm of rain spreads fairly evenly across the months, with no pronounced dry season.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | -2° / 28°F | -10° / 14°F | 83 mm | 1 | 4° / 39°F |
| February | 0 | -2° / 28°F | -10° / 14°F | 69 mm | 1 | 5° / 41°F |
| March | 0 | 2° / 36°F | -5° / 23°F | 64 mm | 3 | 3° / 37°F |
| April | 13 | 10° / 50°F | 1° / 34°F | 62 mm | 4 | 6° / 43°F |
| May | 55 | 17° / 63°F | 7° / 45°F | 79 mm | 5 | 10° / 50°F |
| June | 73 | 21° / 70°F | 12° / 54°F | 86 mm | 5 | 15° / 59°F |
| July | 65 | 25° / 77°F | 16° / 61°F | 127 mm | 5 | 21° / 70°F |
| August | 61 | 26° / 79°F | 17° / 63°F | 164 mm | 5 | 24° / 75°F |
| September | 63 | 22° / 72°F | 13° / 55°F | 137 mm | 5 | 22° / 72°F |
| October | 39 | 15° / 59°F | 6° / 43°F | 113 mm | 3 | 18° / 64°F |
| November | 0 | 7° / 45°F | 0° / 32°F | 113 mm | 1 | 14° / 57°F |
| December | 0 | 0° / 32°F | -7° / 19°F | 109 mm | 1 | 10° / 50°F |
Sea temperature in Sapporo by month
The sea off Sapporo is warmest in August at around 24°C / 75°F, and coolest in March at 3°C / 37°F. The water sits at a comfortable 21°C or warmer roughly 3 months a year. Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
Nearest destinations
Head-to-head
How Sapporo compares month by month: Sapporo vs Asahikawa · Sapporo vs Hakodate · Sapporo vs Obihiro · all comparisons
Sapporo: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Sapporo?
Sapporo is a major coastal city in Japan with a continental climate — the sea reaches 24°C at its warmest and is swimmable (21°C+) about 3 months a year.
How many hours of sunshine does Sapporo get a year?
Sapporo gets about 1,696 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around June.
When is the best time to visit Sapporo?
The sunniest time to visit Sapporo is June, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 73/100 (with July and September close behind). Expect daytime highs around 21°C / 70°F.
What is the least sunny month in Sapporo?
January is the least sunny month in Sapporo, scoring 0/100 with about 83 mm of rain.
What is the sea temperature in Sapporo?
The sea in Sapporo ranges from about 3°C (March) to 24°C (August). Month-by-month sea temperatures are on this page.
How strong is the sun in Sapporo?
The typical midday UV index in Sapporo peaks around 5 (moderate) in May, easing to about 1 (low) in January. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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