Sapporo weather in May
In May, Sapporo sees average daytime highs of 15°C and overnight lows near 7°C, with 93 mm of precipitation across 12.6 wet days and about 14.4 hours of daylight. It is the 5th-warmest and 5th-wettest month of the year here.
Highs climb over the month, from about 13°C in the first days to 17°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.
Daylight stretches from about 13 h 54 min at the start of May to 14 h 54 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Sapporo's 3rd-clearest and 7th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sapporo's year-round climate.
- Daytime high
- 15°
- 5th warmest
- Overnight low
- 7°
- 8th coldest
- Precipitation
- 93 mm
- 12.6 wet days
- Daylight
- 14 h 30 min
- 4:17 AM – 6:45 PM
- Cloud cover
- 64%
- 3rd clearest
- Wind
- 9 km/h
- 7th windiest
- Solar energy
- 5.5 kWh/m²
- Travel score
- 4.3
- out of 10
Sapporo is city on Hokkaido, Japan.
- Air quality
- Moderate
- PM2.5 14 µg/m³ · 2010
- Density
- 1,760/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1922
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Temperature in May
Highs climb over the month, from about 13°C in the first days to 17°C by the end.
A typical May day in Sapporo reaches about 15°C in the afternoon and slips back to 7°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 10°C and 20°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 6°C warmer than April and about 4°C cooler than June.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 17 |
| Avg low (°C) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 | 4 |
| 2 | 13 | 4 |
| 3 | 13 | 4 |
| 4 | 13 | 5 |
| 5 | 14 | 5 |
| 6 | 14 | 5 |
| 7 | 14 | 5 |
| 8 | 14 | 5 |
| 9 | 14 | 5 |
| 10 | 14 | 6 |
| 11 | 14 | 6 |
| 12 | 15 | 6 |
| 13 | 15 | 6 |
| 14 | 15 | 6 |
| 15 | 15 | 7 |
| 16 | 15 | 7 |
| 17 | 15 | 7 |
| 18 | 16 | 7 |
| 19 | 16 | 7 |
| 20 | 16 | 7 |
| 21 | 16 | 8 |
| 22 | 16 | 8 |
| 23 | 16 | 8 |
| 24 | 17 | 8 |
| 25 | 17 | 8 |
| 26 | 17 | 8 |
| 27 | 17 | 9 |
| 28 | 17 | 9 |
| 29 | 17 | 9 |
| 30 | 17 | 9 |
| 31 | 17 | 9 |
How May really feels in Sapporo
Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.
May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.
Sapporo weather by month
How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 5th-warmest and 5th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -3° / -10° | 51 | 10.3 | 16.3 | 9.2 | 0.0 |
| Feb | -2° / -9° | 46 | 9.8 | 14.1 | 10.2 | 0.0 |
| Mar | 2° / -6° | 64 | 12.1 | 12.8 | 11.6 | 0.0 |
| Apr | 9° / 1° | 73 | 11.9 | 5.4 | 13.1 | 1.8 |
| May | 15° / 7° | 93 | 12.6 | 0.4 | 14.4 | 4.3 |
| Jun | 19° / 12° | 89 | 11.9 | 0 | 15.1 | 5.7 |
| Jul | 23° / 16° | 138 | 13.9 | 0 | 14.9 | 6.0 |
| Aug | 24° / 18° | 191 | 14.2 | 0 | 13.8 | 6.1 |
| Sep | 20° / 13° | 155 | 14.7 | 0 | 12.3 | 5.5 |
| Oct | 14° / 6° | 99 | 13.6 | 0.7 | 10.8 | 3.8 |
| Nov | 6° / -0° | 88 | 14.4 | 9.2 | 9.5 | 0.7 |
| Dec | -1° / -6° | 73 | 12.7 | 17.7 | 8.9 | 0.0 |
Cloud cover in May
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 28% of the time in May.
Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 59%.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 44 | 44 | 43 | 43 | 42 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 40 | 40 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 41 | 40 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 39 |
| Cloudier (%) | 56 | 56 | 57 | 57 | 58 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 60 | 60 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 60 | 60 | 60 | 59 | 60 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 59 | 61 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 44 | 56 |
| 2 | 44 | 56 |
| 3 | 43 | 57 |
| 4 | 43 | 57 |
| 5 | 42 | 58 |
| 6 | 41 | 59 |
| 7 | 41 | 59 |
| 8 | 41 | 59 |
| 9 | 41 | 59 |
| 10 | 40 | 60 |
| 11 | 40 | 60 |
| 12 | 41 | 59 |
| 13 | 41 | 59 |
| 14 | 41 | 59 |
| 15 | 41 | 59 |
| 16 | 41 | 59 |
| 17 | 41 | 59 |
| 18 | 40 | 60 |
| 19 | 40 | 60 |
| 20 | 40 | 60 |
| 21 | 41 | 59 |
| 22 | 40 | 60 |
| 23 | 41 | 59 |
| 24 | 41 | 59 |
| 25 | 41 | 59 |
| 26 | 41 | 59 |
| 27 | 41 | 59 |
| 28 | 41 | 59 |
| 29 | 41 | 59 |
| 30 | 41 | 59 |
| 31 | 39 | 61 |
Chance of precipitation in May
Sapporo gets around 93 mm of rain and snow over 12.6 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 41% and peaks near 43% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain chance (%) | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 42 | 42 | 42 | 41 | 41 | 41 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 39 | 40 | 40 | 40 | 41 | 41 |
| Snow chance (%) | 7 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rain chance (%) | Snow chance (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 42 | 7 |
| 2 | 42 | 7 |
| 3 | 42 | 6 |
| 4 | 42 | 5 |
| 5 | 42 | 5 |
| 6 | 43 | 4 |
| 7 | 43 | 4 |
| 8 | 43 | 3 |
| 9 | 43 | 3 |
| 10 | 43 | 2 |
| 11 | 43 | 2 |
| 12 | 43 | 2 |
| 13 | 42 | 2 |
| 14 | 42 | 1 |
| 15 | 42 | 1 |
| 16 | 41 | 1 |
| 17 | 41 | 1 |
| 18 | 41 | 1 |
| 19 | 40 | 1 |
| 20 | 40 | 1 |
| 21 | 40 | 1 |
| 22 | 39 | 0 |
| 23 | 39 | 0 |
| 24 | 39 | 0 |
| 25 | 39 | 0 |
| 26 | 39 | 0 |
| 27 | 40 | 0 |
| 28 | 40 | 0 |
| 29 | 40 | 0 |
| 30 | 41 | 0 |
| 31 | 41 | 0 |
Humidity in May
Most of May feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
By dew point, May lands in the dry band about 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 99 | 98 | 98 | 98 | 97 | 97 | 96 | 95 |
| Comfortable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 100 | 0 |
| 2 | 100 | 0 |
| 3 | 100 | 0 |
| 4 | 100 | 0 |
| 5 | 100 | 0 |
| 6 | 100 | 0 |
| 7 | 100 | 0 |
| 8 | 100 | 0 |
| 9 | 100 | 0 |
| 10 | 100 | 0 |
| 11 | 100 | 0 |
| 12 | 100 | 0 |
| 13 | 100 | 0 |
| 14 | 100 | 0 |
| 15 | 100 | 0 |
| 16 | 100 | 0 |
| 17 | 100 | 0 |
| 18 | 100 | 0 |
| 19 | 100 | 0 |
| 20 | 99 | 1 |
| 21 | 99 | 1 |
| 22 | 99 | 1 |
| 23 | 99 | 1 |
| 24 | 99 | 1 |
| 25 | 98 | 2 |
| 26 | 98 | 2 |
| 27 | 98 | 2 |
| 28 | 97 | 3 |
| 29 | 97 | 3 |
| 30 | 96 | 4 |
| 31 | 95 | 5 |
Wind in May
Winds average 9 km/h in May.
Across May, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 10 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 8 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 10 | calm |
| 2 | 10 | calm |
| 3 | 10 | calm |
| 4 | 10 | calm |
| 5 | 10 | calm |
| 6 | 10 | calm |
| 7 | 10 | calm |
| 8 | 10 | calm |
| 9 | 9 | calm |
| 10 | 9 | calm |
| 11 | 9 | calm |
| 12 | 9 | calm |
| 13 | 9 | calm |
| 14 | 9 | calm |
| 15 | 9 | calm |
| 16 | 9 | calm |
| 17 | 9 | calm |
| 18 | 9 | calm |
| 19 | 9 | calm |
| 20 | 9 | calm |
| 21 | 9 | calm |
| 22 | 9 | calm |
| 23 | 9 | calm |
| 24 | 9 | calm |
| 25 | 9 | calm |
| 26 | 9 | calm |
| 27 | 9 | calm |
| 28 | 9 | calm |
| 29 | 9 | calm |
| 30 | 8 | calm |
| 31 | 8 | calm |
Sunrise & sunset in May
Daylight runs from about 13 h 54 min at the start of May to 14 h 54 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Days grow by about 60 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 4:36 AM to 4:05 AM, and sunset from 6:28 PM to 6:59 PM.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 13.9 | 13.9 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.0 | 14.1 | 14.1 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.2 | 14.3 | 14.3 | 14.4 | 14.4 | 14.4 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 14.5 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.6 | 14.7 | 14.7 | 14.7 | 14.8 | 14.8 | 14.8 | 14.8 | 14.9 | 14.9 | 14.9 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 4:36 | 4:34 | 4:33 | 4:32 | 4:30 | 4:29 | 4:28 | 4:26 | 4:25 | 4:24 | 4:23 | 4:21 | 4:20 | 4:19 | 4:18 | 4:17 | 4:16 | 4:15 | 4:14 | 4:13 | 4:12 | 4:11 | 4:10 | 4:09 | 4:09 | 4:08 | 4:07 | 4:07 | 4:06 | 4:05 | 4:05 |
| Sunset (PM) | 6:28 | 6:29 | 6:30 | 6:31 | 6:32 | 6:34 | 6:35 | 6:36 | 6:37 | 6:38 | 6:39 | 6:40 | 6:41 | 6:43 | 6:44 | 6:45 | 6:46 | 6:47 | 6:48 | 6:49 | 6:50 | 6:51 | 6:52 | 6:53 | 6:54 | 6:55 | 6:56 | 6:57 | 6:58 | 6:58 | 6:59 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13.9 | 4:36 | 6:28 |
| 2 | 13.9 | 4:34 | 6:29 |
| 3 | 14.0 | 4:33 | 6:30 |
| 4 | 14.0 | 4:32 | 6:31 |
| 5 | 14.0 | 4:30 | 6:32 |
| 6 | 14.1 | 4:29 | 6:34 |
| 7 | 14.1 | 4:28 | 6:35 |
| 8 | 14.2 | 4:26 | 6:36 |
| 9 | 14.2 | 4:25 | 6:37 |
| 10 | 14.2 | 4:24 | 6:38 |
| 11 | 14.3 | 4:23 | 6:39 |
| 12 | 14.3 | 4:21 | 6:40 |
| 13 | 14.4 | 4:20 | 6:41 |
| 14 | 14.4 | 4:19 | 6:43 |
| 15 | 14.4 | 4:18 | 6:44 |
| 16 | 14.5 | 4:17 | 6:45 |
| 17 | 14.5 | 4:16 | 6:46 |
| 18 | 14.5 | 4:15 | 6:47 |
| 19 | 14.6 | 4:14 | 6:48 |
| 20 | 14.6 | 4:13 | 6:49 |
| 21 | 14.6 | 4:12 | 6:50 |
| 22 | 14.7 | 4:11 | 6:51 |
| 23 | 14.7 | 4:10 | 6:52 |
| 24 | 14.7 | 4:09 | 6:53 |
| 25 | 14.8 | 4:09 | 6:54 |
| 26 | 14.8 | 4:08 | 6:55 |
| 27 | 14.8 | 4:07 | 6:56 |
| 28 | 14.8 | 4:07 | 6:57 |
| 29 | 14.9 | 4:06 | 6:58 |
| 30 | 14.9 | 4:05 | 6:58 |
| 31 | 14.9 | 4:05 | 6:59 |
Solar energy in May
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.5 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.
For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.64 kWh/m² to a high of 5.5 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 5.5 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.4 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.5 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.6 |
| Level | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 2 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 3 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 4 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 5 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 6 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 7 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 8 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 9 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 10 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 11 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 12 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 13 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 14 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 15 | 5.4 | Bright |
| 16 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 17 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 18 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 19 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 20 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 21 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 22 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 23 | 5.5 | Bright |
| 24 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 25 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 26 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 27 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 28 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 29 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 30 | 5.6 | Bright |
| 31 | 5.6 | Bright |
Hazard calendar for Sapporo
In May, Sapporo sits inside its pacific typhoon and rainy season season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.
Sapporo sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.
Sapporo's rainy season runs May–November, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is May a good time to visit Sapporo?
Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).
May is a reasonable time to visit Sapporo for sightseeing.
What to pack for Sapporo in May
From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In May, Sapporo sees daytime highs around 15°C and nights near 7°C. Worth packing: a warm layer, rain gear and sun protection. About 13 days see rain.
Sea temperature near Sapporo in May
The nearest coast averages about 10°C in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.
The sea at the nearest coast (about 34 km away) is warmest in August at about 22°C and coldest in February near 5°C.
It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 31 to Sep 22 — about 1.8 months when the water holds above 20°C.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sea temperature (°C) | 7 | 5 | 5 | 7 | 10 | 14 | 19 | 22 | 21 | 17 | 13 | 9 |
| Comfort | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Bracing | Cool | Refreshing | Refreshing | Cool | Bracing | Bracing |
| Sea temperature (°C) | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | Bracing |
| Feb | 5 | Bracing |
| Mar | 5 | Bracing |
| Apr | 7 | Bracing |
| May | 10 | Bracing |
| Jun | 14 | Bracing |
| Jul | 19 | Cool |
| Aug | 22 | Refreshing |
| Sep | 21 | Refreshing |
| Oct | 17 | Cool |
| Nov | 13 | Bracing |
| Dec | 9 | Bracing |
UV index in Sapporo in May
Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 7 — enough to warrant sun protection. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sapporo peaks around August 18 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 1 (low).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
| Level | Low | Moderate | Moderate | High | Very high | High | Moderate | Very high | High | Moderate | Low | Low |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1 | Low |
| Feb | 2 | Moderate |
| Mar | 3 | Moderate |
| Apr | 5 | High |
| May | 7 | Very high |
| Jun | 7 | High |
| Jul | 5 | Moderate |
| Aug | 8 | Very high |
| Sep | 6 | High |
| Oct | 4 | Moderate |
| Nov | 2 | Low |
| Dec | 1 | Low |
Air quality in Sapporo in May
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual average.
Air quality in Sapporo is worst in April — around 22 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.5× the cleanest month (December, 9 µg/m³).
Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Sapporo's WHO annual average of 14 µg/m³.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 11 | 16 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 14 | 13 | 11 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 9 |
| Level | Good | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 11 | Good |
| Feb | 16 | Moderate |
| Mar | 21 | Moderate |
| Apr | 22 | Moderate |
| May | 20 | Moderate |
| Jun | 14 | Moderate |
| Jul | 13 | Moderate |
| Aug | 11 | Good |
| Sep | 10 | Good |
| Oct | 12 | Good |
| Nov | 10 | Good |
| Dec | 9 | Good |
Where is Sapporo?
Sapporo sits at 43.1°N, 141.3°E, 26 m above sea level, in Japan. The nearest listed city is Ebetsu, 17 km away.
Topography around Sapporo
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Sapporo.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Sapporo has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 37 m around an average of 20 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,095 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,863 m.
The land around Sapporo is covered by artificial surfaces (90%) within 3 km, trees (44%) and artificial surfaces (36%) within 16 km, and trees (57%) and water (27%) within 80 km.
Japan travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 1
- Exercise Normal Precautions
- Power plugs
- Type A / B
- 100 V · 50 / 60 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 65% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $35,951
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.1 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 99%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 0.2
- per 100k, 2023
- Road deaths
- 3.6
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- High
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 446
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Sapporo (43.0667°, 141.35°, elevation 26 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).