Sapporo weather in January
Temperature, rain and sunshine in January: long-term averages from 30 years of weather data, not a forecast.
Holiday weather in January
Poor
Best time to visit: May – September
What is the weather like in Sapporo in January?
In January, Sapporo is freezing cold: daytime highs average −3 °C, and nights often drop below freezing (−9 °C). The sun is scarce, with only about 3 hours a day. Precipitation, often as snow, falls on about 20 days, totalling 88 mm. Snow falls on about 20 days. All in all, January is not an ideal month for a holiday in Sapporo.
January compared
How the weather changes from December to February. Tap a month to open it.
| DecemberDec | JanuaryJan | FebruaryFeb | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Score | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Day | 0° | −3° | −2° |
| Night | −6° | −9° | −9° |
| Sun | 3 h | 3 h | 4 h |
| Rain days | 22 | 20 | 17 |
More details for January
- Daylight
- 9 h 20 min07:03 – 16:23
- UV index
- 1 · lowclear sky, noon (estimate)All months
- Muggy days
- 0 daysdew point 18 °C or moreAll months
- Wind
- 24 km/haverage daily peakAll months
- Cloud cover
- 71 %on averageAll months
- Hot days
- 0 days30 °C or moreAll months
- Snow days
- 20 days1 cm or more of fresh snowAll months
- Time zone
- UTC+9Asia/Tokyo
How the score comes together
- Temperatureweight 50 %0 %
- Sunshineweight 20 %0 %
- Few rainy daysweight 30 %0 %
Each factor is rated from 0 to 100 % and weighted for the travel style “City break”.
What to pack in January
- Warm jacket
- Hat, scarf & gloves
- Rain jacket or umbrella
Sapporo in January: quick answers
Is Sapporo hot in January?
No. In January, Sapporo is freezing cold: daytime highs average −3 °C and nights drop to about −9 °C.
Does it rain much in Sapporo in January?
It rains often – on about 20 days, adding up to 88 mm.
Sapporo month by month
The whole year in SapporoAll destinations: JapanWhere to go in January
Climate averages 1996–2025, not a forecast. Data: Copernicus ERA5 / ERA5-Land via Open-Meteo.com (CC BY 4.0), NOAA OISST, WMO 1991–2020 (NOAA NCEI), GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Sources & licences