Sapporo in December: weather, what to wear and events

Sapporo weather in December

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

High: 2.0°C (36°F)
Low: −4.0°C (25°F)
Precipitation: 114.5 mm
Wet days: 16.0 days
Sunshine: 83 hours
Snow on ground: 26.7 days

Highs fall 6.7°C from November and drop another 2.4°C into January.

That is 11.1°C below Sapporo's yearly average high of 13.1°C.

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Sapporo is the coldest in December, 3.9°C cooler than Shirakawa-go.

December is Sapporo's 3rd wettest month (114.5 mm).

Of our 15 places, Sapporo has the 3rd highest precipitation in December: 168.3 mm less than Shirakawa-go and 4.5 mm more than Naha.

Rain or snow of 1 mm or more falls on 16.0 days, and 10 mm or more on 3.7 days.

Rain or snow of 30 mm or more in one day falls on 0.5 days.

The temperature drops below 0°C on 27.6 nights.

On 9.5 days it stays below 0°C all day.

113 cm of snow falls in an average December; snow lies on the ground on 26.7 days.

The sun is out for 40% or more of the possible hours on 10.2 days, and 4.5 days have under 0.1 hours of sunshine.

By the JMA's cloud records, 0.2 days are clear and 15.4 are overcast.

On 15 December 2026 the sun rises at 6:59 and sets at 16:00 in Sapporo, giving 9 hours 1 minute of daylight (NAOJ).

Average temperature: −0.9°C (30°F)
Humidity: 68%
Deepest snow (average of each year's deepest): 47 cm

Early, mid and late December

Sapporo in December by ten-day period: averages for 1991–2020 (JMA)
Days	High	Low	Precipitation
1–10 December	3.5°C	−2.4°C	34.3 mm
11–20 December	1.6°C	−4.4°C	35.9 mm
21–31 December	0.9°C	−5.0°C	44.2 mm

By the last ten days of December the average high in Sapporo is 2.6°C lower than in the first ten.

By ten-day totals, 21–31 December is the wettest (44.2 mm) and 1–10 December the driest (34.3 mm).

What to wear in Sapporo in December

Freezing: highs around 2.0°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 27.6 nights.
A waterproof jacket with a hood: rain or snow falls on 16.0 days.

Shoes

Waterproof boots with good grip: snow lies on the ground on 26.7 days (deepest 47 cm on average).

Pack

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

Our clothing rules

December records in Sapporo

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

Hottest December day: 14.8°C (59°F) on 4 December 1989 (records since 1876)
Coldest December night: −24.7°C (−12°F) on 24 December 1880 (records since 1876)
Wettest December day: 67.5 mm on 5 December 2004 (records since 1876)
Deepest December snow: 120 cm on 26 December 1938 (records since 1890)
Most snow in one December day: 56 cm on 10 December 2001 (records since 1953)

Holidays and crowds in December

There are no national holidays in December 2026.

In December 2025, hotels and inns across Hokkaido were 59.5% full on average (8th busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 1.79 million nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency). That compares with 54.2% in November and 62.1% in January.

What's on in Sapporo in December

Events in Sapporo in December: 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
Munich Christmas Market in Sapporoミュンヘン・クリスマス市 in Sapporo	Late November to Christmas Day (20 November to 25 December in 2026)	Odori Park blocks 1 and 2. A Christmas market modeled on that of Sapporo's sister city Munich, with hot wine, Christmas food and goods. Open 11:00 to 21:00, last order 20:45. Official page

Sapporo before and after December

Sapporo: November, December and January (JMA, 1991–2020)
Month	High	Low	Precipitation	Wet days
November	8.7°C (+6.7°C)	1.6°C (+5.6°C)	113.8 mm (−0.7 mm)	14.6 days (−1.4 days)
December	2.0°C	−4.0°C	114.5 mm	16.0 days
January	−0.4°C (−2.4°C)	−6.4°C (−2.4°C)	108.4 mm (−6.1 mm)	18.3 days (+2.3 days)

Other places in December

December: Sapporo against five other places (JMA, 1991–2020)
Place	High	Against Sapporo	Wet days	Against Sapporo
Tokyo	12.0°C	+10.0°C	5.2 days	−10.8 days
Kyoto	11.6°C	+9.6°C	6.6 days	−9.4 days
Osaka	12.3°C	+10.3°C	6.1 days	−9.9 days
OkinawaNaha	21.5°C	+19.5°C	9.3 days	−6.7 days
Fukuoka	12.6°C	+10.6°C	8.5 days	−7.5 days

All 15 places in December

Frequently asked questions

What is the weather like in Sapporo in December?

The average high is 2.0°C (36°F) and the average low −4.0°C (25°F). 114.5 mm of rain or snow falls on about 16.0 days (JMA, 1991–2020).

What should I wear in Sapporo in December?

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 27.6 nights. A waterproof jacket with a hood: rain or snow falls on 16.0 days.

Does it snow in Sapporo in December?

Yes. 113 cm of snow falls in an average December, and snow lies on the ground on 26.7 days (JMA, 1991–2020).

Is Sapporo busy in December?

In December 2025, hotels and inns across Hokkaido were 59.5% full on average (8th busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 1.79 million nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency).

What are the record temperatures for December in Sapporo?

The highest temperature the JMA has recorded in Sapporo in December is 14.8°C (59°F), on 4 December 1989. The lowest is −24.7°C (−12°F), on 24 December 1880.

What events are on in Sapporo in December?

Sapporo White Illumination: Late November to mid-March; each site has its own end date (20 November 2026 to 14 March 2027). Munich Christmas Market in Sapporo: Late November to Christmas Day (20 November to 25 December in 2026).

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 December: 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 White Illumination Executive Committee (Sapporo Tourist Association) Munich Christmas Market in Sapporo (ミュンヘン・クリスマス市 in Sapporo)checked October 2, 2026

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