Sapporo in October: weather, what to wear and events

Sapporo weather in October

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

High: 16.4°C (62°F)
Low: 8.0°C (46°F)
Precipitation: 109.9 mm
Wet days: 11.6 days
Sunshine: 146 hours

Highs fall 6.4°C from September and drop another 7.7°C into November.

That is 3.3°C above Sapporo's yearly average high of 13.1°C.

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Sapporo is the coldest in October, 1.9°C cooler than Kawaguchiko.

October is Sapporo's 5th wettest month (109.9 mm).

Of our 15 places, Sapporo has the 3rd lowest precipitation in October: 24.8 mm less than Nara and 0.7 mm more than Hiroshima.

Rain or snow of 1 mm or more falls on 11.6 days, and 10 mm or more on 3.3 days.

Rain or snow of 30 mm or more in one day falls on 0.6 days.

1 cm of snow falls in an average October.

Snow or sleet falls on 1.9 days.

The sun is out for 40% or more of the possible hours on 15.6 days, and 2.7 days have under 0.1 hours of sunshine.

By the JMA's cloud records, 1.8 days are clear and 9.5 are overcast.

On 15 October 2026 the sun rises at 5:47 and sets at 16:53 in Sapporo, giving 11 hours 6 minutes of daylight (NAOJ).

Average temperature: 12.1°C (54°F)
Humidity: 67%
Deepest snow (average of each year's deepest): 1 cm

Early, mid and late October

Sapporo in October by ten-day period: averages for 1991–2020 (JMA)
Days	High	Low	Precipitation
1–10 October	18.7°C	10.3°C	39.2 mm
11–20 October	16.4°C	7.9°C	28.3 mm
21–31 October	14.3°C	6.1°C	42.4 mm

By the last ten days of October the average high in Sapporo is 4.4°C lower than in the first ten.

By ten-day totals, 21–31 October is the wettest (42.4 mm) and 11–20 October the driest (28.3 mm).

What to wear in Sapporo in October

Cool: highs around 16.4°C

Long sleeves with a light jacket or sweater.
An umbrella: rain or snow falls on 11.6 days.

Pack

Umbrella

Our clothing rules

Flowers and autumn colour in Sapporo in October

Autumn leaves (maple)

In Sapporo the JMA watches a yama-momiji maple. It turns red around 28 October and has lost most of its leaves by 5 November in an average year (1991–2020). In 2025: 6 November.

Dates are for one sample tree at or near the JMA observatory, not for every park in the city.

Sapporo autumn leaves: every year since 2016

Rainy season and typhoons

In an average October, 0.2 typhoons come within 300 km of the Hokkaido region; across Japan, 1.7 come within 300 km and 0.3 make landfall (JMA, 1991–2020).

October records in Sapporo

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

Hottest October day: 29.7°C (85°F) on 1 October 2022 (records since 1876)
Coldest October night: −4.4°C (24°F) on 30 October 1924 (records since 1876); also on 30 October 1912
Wettest October day: 106.5 mm on 22 October 1993 (records since 1876)
Deepest October snow: 17 cm on 25 October 1964 (records since 1890)
Most snow in one October day: 14 cm on 25 October 1964 (records since 1953)

Holidays and crowds in October

National holidays in October 2026:

Mon 12 October — Sports Day

Sat 10 October to Mon 12 October: 3 days off in a row

In October 2025, hotels and inns across Hokkaido were 63.2% full on average (6th busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 941,900 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency). That compares with 67.4% in September and 54.2% in November.

What's on in Sapporo in October

Events in Sapporo in October: dates from each organizer's official page
Event	When	Where and what
Sapporo Autumn Festさっぽろオータムフェスト	Mid-September to early October, 23 days (11 September to 3 October in 2026)	Odori Park, blocks 4 to 8, 10 and 11. A food event on the theme of Hokkaido and Sapporo food, held in seven areas of Odori Park over a length of about 1 km, with about 300 stalls in total. Open 10:00 to 20:30. The organizer says more than 2 million people visit every year. Food and drink brought in from outside may not be consumed inside the venue. Official page

Sapporo before and after October

Sapporo: September, October and November (JMA, 1991–2020)
Month	High	Low	Precipitation	Wet days
September	22.8°C (+6.4°C)	14.8°C (+6.8°C)	142.2 mm (+32.3 mm)	10.2 days (−1.4 days)
October	16.4°C	8.0°C	109.9 mm	11.6 days
November	8.7°C (−7.7°C)	1.6°C (−6.4°C)	113.8 mm (+3.9 mm)	14.6 days (+3.0 days)

Other places in October

October: Sapporo against five other places (JMA, 1991–2020)
Place	High	Against Sapporo	Wet days	Against Sapporo
Tokyo	22.0°C	+5.6°C	10.5 days	−1.1 days
Kyoto	23.4°C	+7.0°C	8.2 days	−3.4 days
Osaka	23.7°C	+7.3°C	8.3 days	−3.3 days
OkinawaNaha	28.1°C	+11.7°C	8.8 days	−2.8 days
Fukuoka	23.7°C	+7.3°C	6.8 days	−4.8 days

All 15 places in October

Frequently asked questions

What is the weather like in Sapporo in October?

The average high is 16.4°C (62°F) and the average low 8.0°C (46°F). 109.9 mm of rain or snow falls on about 11.6 days (JMA, 1991–2020).

What should I wear in Sapporo in October?

Long sleeves with a light jacket or sweater. An umbrella: rain or snow falls on 11.6 days.

Does it snow in Sapporo in October?

Sometimes. Snow or sleet falls on 1.9 days in an average October, but snow rarely stays on the ground (JMA, 1991–2020).

Is Sapporo busy in October?

In October 2025, hotels and inns across Hokkaido were 63.2% full on average (6th busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 941,900 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency).

What are the record temperatures for October in Sapporo?

The highest temperature the JMA has recorded in Sapporo in October is 29.7°C (85°F), on 1 October 2022. The lowest is −4.4°C (24°F), on 30 October 1924.

What events are on in Sapporo in October?

Sapporo Autumn Fest: Mid-September to early October, 23 days (11 September to 3 October in 2026).

When do the leaves turn red in Sapporo?