Sapporo in January: weather, what to wear and events

Sapporo weather in January

Averages for 1991–2020 at the JMA's Sapporo station (17 m above sea level).

High: −0.4°C (31°F)
Low: −6.4°C (20°F)
Precipitation: 108.4 mm
Wet days: 18.3 days
Sunshine: 90 hours
Snow on ground: 31.0 days

Highs are 2.4°C below December and 0.8°C below February.

That is 13.5°C below Sapporo's yearly average high of 13.1°C.

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Sapporo is the coldest in January, 3.2°C cooler than Shirakawa-go.

January is Sapporo's 6th wettest month (108.4 mm).

Of our 15 places, Sapporo has the 4th highest precipitation in January: 19.3 mm less than Hakone and 6.5 mm more than Takayama.

Rain or snow of 1 mm or more falls on 18.3 days, and 10 mm or more on 3.3 days.

The temperature drops below 0°C on 30.6 nights.

On 16.7 days it stays below 0°C all day.

137 cm of snow falls in an average January; snow lies on the ground on 31.0 days.

The sun is out for 40% or more of the possible hours on 11.3 days, and 3.7 days have under 0.1 hours of sunshine.

By the JMA's cloud records, 0.1 days are clear and 16.8 are overcast.

On 15 January 2027 the sun rises at 7:03 and sets at 16:24 in Sapporo, giving 9 hours 21 minutes of daylight (NAOJ).

Average temperature: −3.2°C (26°F)
Humidity: 69%
Deepest snow (average of each year's deepest): 76 cm

Early, mid and late January

Sapporo in January by ten-day period: averages for 1991–2020 (JMA)
Days	High	Low	Precipitation
1–10 January	0.2°C	−5.8°C	36.9 mm
11–20 January	−0.7°C	−6.7°C	33.5 mm
21–31 January	−0.5°C	−6.7°C	38.0 mm

By the last ten days of January the average high in Sapporo is 0.7°C lower than in the first ten.

What to wear in Sapporo in January

Freezing: highs around −0.4°C

A heavy winter coat (down or similar), thermal underwear, a hat, gloves and a scarf.
Gloves and a hat for mornings and nights: the temperature drops below 0°C on 30.6 nights.
A waterproof jacket with a hood: rain or snow falls on 18.3 days.

Shoes

Waterproof boots with good grip: snow lies on the ground on 31.0 days (deepest 76 cm on average).

Pack

Waterproof jacket with a hood
Gloves and a warm hat
Thermal underwear
Scarf
Waterproof boots with grip

Our clothing rules

January records in Sapporo

The extremes the JMA has measured in January at its Sapporo station.

Hottest January day: 11.2°C (52°F) on 24 January 1903 (records since 1877)
Coldest January night: −27.0°C (−17°F) on 18 January 1922 (records since 1877)
Wettest January day: 70.6 mm on 9 January 1918 (records since 1877)
Deepest January snow: 150 cm on 4 January 1929 (records since 1890)
Most snow in one January day: 63 cm on 31 January 1970 (records since 1953)

Holidays and crowds in January

National holidays in January 2027:

Fri 1 January — New Year's Day
Mon 11 January — Coming of Age Day

Fri 1 January to Sun 3 January: 3 days off in a row
Sat 9 January to Mon 11 January: 3 days off in a row

In January 2025, hotels and inns across Hokkaido were 62.1% full on average (7th busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 1.98 million nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency). That compares with 59.5% in December and 68.0% in February.

What's on in Sapporo in January

Events in Sapporo in January: dates from each organizer's official page
Event	When	Where and what
Sapporo White Illuminationさっぽろホワイトイルミネーション	Late November to mid-March; each site has its own end date (20 November 2026 to 14 March 2027)	Odori Park, Ekimae-dori (Sapporo Station to Susukino), Minami 1-jo-dori, Kita 3-jo Square (Akapla) and the Sapporo Station South Exit square. Lighting displays at several sites in central Sapporo. The trees in the median of Ekimae-dori, about 1.5 km between Sapporo Station and Susukino, are decorated with about 220,000 LEDs. Lighting starts at 16:30 at most sites and ends at 22:00 (24:00 at the Sapporo Station South Exit site). End dates differ by site: the Odori Park site ends on 25 December 2026, the Ekimae-dori site on 11 February 2027, and the Minami 1-jo-dori, Akapla and Sapporo Station South Exit sites on 14 March 2027. Official page

Sapporo before and after January

Sapporo: December, January and February (JMA, 1991–2020)
Month	High	Low	Precipitation	Wet days
December	2.0°C (+2.4°C)	−4.0°C (+2.4°C)	114.5 mm (+6.1 mm)	16.0 days (−2.3 days)
January	−0.4°C	−6.4°C	108.4 mm	18.3 days
February	0.4°C (+0.8°C)	−6.2°C (+0.2°C)	91.9 mm (−16.5 mm)	16.0 days (−2.3 days)

Other places in January

January: Sapporo against five other places (JMA, 1991–2020)
Place	High	Against Sapporo	Wet days	Against Sapporo
Tokyo	9.8°C	+10.2°C	4.5 days	−13.8 days
Kyoto	9.1°C	+9.5°C	6.4 days	−11.9 days
Osaka	9.7°C	+10.1°C	5.6 days	−12.7 days
OkinawaNaha	19.8°C	+20.2°C	10.2 days	−8.1 days
Fukuoka	10.2°C	+10.6°C	9.3 days	−9.0 days

All 15 places in January

Frequently asked questions

What is the weather like in Sapporo in January?

The average high is −0.4°C (31°F) and the average low −6.4°C (20°F). 108.4 mm of rain or snow falls on about 18.3 days (JMA, 1991–2020).

What should I wear in Sapporo in January?

A heavy winter coat (down or similar), thermal underwear, a hat, gloves and a scarf. Gloves and a hat for mornings and nights: the temperature drops below 0°C on 30.6 nights. A waterproof jacket with a hood: rain or snow falls on 18.3 days.

Does it snow in Sapporo in January?

Yes. 137 cm of snow falls in an average January, and snow lies on the ground on 31.0 days (JMA, 1991–2020).

Is Sapporo busy in January?

In January 2025, hotels and inns across Hokkaido were 62.1% full on average (7th busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 1.98 million nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency).

What are the record temperatures for January in Sapporo?

The highest temperature the JMA has recorded in Sapporo in January is 11.2°C (52°F), on 24 January 1903. The lowest is −27.0°C (−17°F), on 18 January 1922.

What events are on in Sapporo in January?

Sapporo White Illumination: Late November to mid-March; each site has its own end date (20 November 2026 to 14 March 2027).

Related items

Sources for this page

Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Normals for 1991–2020: Sapporo (札幌), month by month (平年値年・月ごとの値)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Normals for 1991–2020: Sapporo (札幌), rain days, temperature days and snow (詳細)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Ten-day normals for 1991–2020: Sapporo (札幌) (平年値旬ごとの値)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Records for January: Sapporo (札幌) (観測史上1〜10位の値)checked October 2, 2026
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) Sunrise and sunset by prefectural capital (各地のこよみ)checked October 2, 2026
Cabinet Office National holidays (国民の祝日について)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Tourism Agency Overnight Travel Statistics Survey, 2025 final figures (宿泊旅行統計調査 2025年年の確定値)checked October 2, 2026
Sapporo White Illumination Executive Committee (Sapporo Tourist Association) Sapporo White Illumination (さっぽろホワイトイルミネーション)checked October 2, 2026

Sapporo in January: weather, what to wear and what's on