Sapporo in March: weather, what to wear and events

Sapporo weather in March

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

High: 4.5°C (40°F)
Low: −2.4°C (28°F)
Precipitation: 77.6 mm
Wet days: 13.9 days
Sunshine: 145 hours
Snow on ground: 29.4 days

Highs rise 4.1°C from February and climb another 7.2°C into April.

That is 8.6°C below Sapporo's yearly average high of 13.1°C.

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Sapporo is the coldest in March, 3.8°C cooler than Shirakawa-go.

March is Sapporo's 4th driest month (77.6 mm).

Of our 15 places, Sapporo gets the least precipitation in March: 21.7 mm less than Nikko.

Rain or snow of 1 mm or more falls on 13.9 days, and 10 mm or more on 2.1 days.

The temperature drops below 0°C on 23.3 nights.

On 3.2 days it stays below 0°C all day.

74 cm of snow falls in an average March; snow lies on the ground on 29.4 days.

The sun is out for 40% or more of the possible hours on 15.1 days, and 2.7 days have under 0.1 hours of sunshine.

By the JMA's cloud records, 0.5 days are clear and 13.9 are overcast.

On 15 March 2027 the sun rises at 5:48 and sets at 17:40 in Sapporo, giving 11 hours 52 minutes of daylight (NAOJ).

Average temperature: 1.1°C (34°F)
Humidity: 65%
Deepest snow (average of each year's deepest): 82 cm

Early, mid and late March

Sapporo in March by ten-day period: averages for 1991–2020 (JMA)
Days	High	Low	Precipitation
1–10 March	2.5°C	−4.3°C	32.3 mm
11–20 March	4.5°C	−2.2°C	21.2 mm
21–31 March	6.5°C	−0.8°C	24.1 mm

By the last ten days of March the average high in Sapporo is 4.0°C higher than in the first ten.

By ten-day totals, 1–10 March is the wettest (32.3 mm) and 11–20 March the driest (21.2 mm).

What to wear in Sapporo in March

Freezing: highs around 4.5°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 23.3 nights.
A waterproof jacket with a hood: rain or snow falls on 13.9 days.

Shoes

Waterproof boots with good grip: snow lies on the ground on 29.4 days (deepest 82 cm on average).

Pack

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

Our clothing rules

March records in Sapporo

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

Hottest March day: 19.1°C (66°F) on 22 March 2023 (records since 1877)
Coldest March night: −22.6°C (−9°F) on 4 March 1910 (records since 1877); also on 11 March 1898
Wettest March day: 82.0 mm on 21 March 1975 (records since 1877)
Deepest March snow: 153 cm on 17 March 1946 (records since 1890)
Most snow in one March day: 47 cm on 17 March 1984 (records since 1953)

Holidays and crowds in March

National holidays in March 2027:

Sun 21 March — Vernal Equinox Day
Mon 22 March — Substitute holiday

Sat 20 March to Mon 22 March: 3 days off in a row

In March 2025, hotels and inns across Hokkaido were 55.2% full on average (9th busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 981,650 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency). That compares with 68.0% in February and 46.3% in April.

What's on in Sapporo in March

Events in Sapporo in March: 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 March

Sapporo: February, March and April (JMA, 1991–2020)
Month	High	Low	Precipitation	Wet days
February	0.4°C (−4.1°C)	−6.2°C (−3.8°C)	91.9 mm (+14.3 mm)	16.0 days (+2.1 days)
March	4.5°C	−2.4°C	77.6 mm	13.9 days
April	11.7°C (+7.2°C)	3.4°C (+5.8°C)	54.6 mm (−23.0 mm)	9.6 days (−4.3 days)

Other places in March

March: Sapporo against five other places (JMA, 1991–2020)
Place	High	Against Sapporo	Wet days	Against Sapporo
Tokyo	14.2°C	+9.7°C	9.2 days	−4.7 days
Kyoto	14.1°C	+9.6°C	9.5 days	−4.4 days
Osaka	14.2°C	+9.7°C	9.1 days	−4.8 days
OkinawaNaha	21.9°C	+17.4°C	10.9 days	−3.0 days
Fukuoka	15.0°C	+10.5°C	10.1 days	−3.8 days

All 15 places in March

Frequently asked questions

What is the weather like in Sapporo in March?

The average high is 4.5°C (40°F) and the average low −2.4°C (28°F). 77.6 mm of rain or snow falls on about 13.9 days (JMA, 1991–2020).

What should I wear in Sapporo in March?

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 23.3 nights. A waterproof jacket with a hood: rain or snow falls on 13.9 days.

Does it snow in Sapporo in March?

Yes. 74 cm of snow falls in an average March, and snow lies on the ground on 29.4 days (JMA, 1991–2020).

Is Sapporo busy in March?

In March 2025, hotels and inns across Hokkaido were 55.2% full on average (9th busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 981,650 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency).

What are the record temperatures for March in Sapporo?

The highest temperature the JMA has recorded in Sapporo in March is 19.1°C (66°F), on 22 March 2023. The lowest is −22.6°C (−9°F), on 4 March 1910.

What events are on in Sapporo in March?

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 March: 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 March: weather, what to wear and what's on