Climate and average weather in Sapa
In Sapa, the summers are humid, warm, wet, and mostly cloudy and the winters are mild and partly cloudy.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Sapa typically varies from 10°C to 27°C, and is rarely below 6°C or above 30°C. June is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best times of year to visit Sapa for warm-weather activities are from early February to early April and late September to late December.
- Hottest
- Jun
- 27°
- Coldest
- Jan
- 10°
- Wettest
- Jul
- 396 mm
- Driest
- Nov
- 61 mm
- Rain / yr
- 2259 mm
- 237 wet days
- Daylight
- 10.6–13.4 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 0 m
- 22.3°N
- Clearest
- Mar
- 55% cloud
Sapa weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around late September to late December.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Sapa, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 6.2 months, from April 8 to October 12, with daily high temperatures above 25°C. The hottest month of the year in Sapa is June, with an average high of 27°C and low of 21°C.
The cool season lasts 2.4 months, from December 3 to February 12, with daily high temperatures below 19°C. The coldest month of the year in Sapa is January, with an average low of 10°C and high of 18°C.
Days typically run about 7°C warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 9°C) in March.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 18 | 19 | 23 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 18 |
| Avg low (°C) | 10 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 20 | 21 | 21 | 21 | 20 | 18 | 14 | 11 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 18 | 10 |
| Feb | 19 | 11 |
| Mar | 23 | 14 |
| Apr | 25 | 17 |
| May | 27 | 20 |
| Jun | 27 | 21 |
| Jul | 27 | 21 |
| Aug | 27 | 21 |
| Sep | 26 | 20 |
| Oct | 24 | 18 |
| Nov | 22 | 14 |
| Dec | 18 | 11 |
Average hourly temperature in Sapa
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on June afternoons, near 27°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near 10°C.
Sapa weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 18° / 10° | 82 | 12.4 | 10.8 | 5.3 |
| Feb | 19° / 11° | 73 | 13 | 11.2 | 5.6 |
| Mar | 23° / 14° | 132 | 16.9 | 11.8 | 5.8 |
| Apr | 25° / 17° | 177 | 21.7 | 12.5 | 5.0 |
| May | 27° / 20° | 236 | 25.8 | 13.1 | 4.1 |
| Jun | 27° / 21° | 344 | 28.9 | 13.3 | 3.4 |
| Jul | 27° / 21° | 396 | 29.7 | 13.2 | 3.4 |
| Aug | 27° / 21° | 385 | 28.7 | 12.8 | 3.6 |
| Sep | 26° / 20° | 202 | 22.4 | 12.1 | 4.5 |
| Oct | 24° / 18° | 108 | 17.4 | 11.5 | 5.7 |
| Nov | 22° / 14° | 61 | 10.3 | 10.9 | 6.4 |
| Dec | 18° / 11° | 63 | 10 | 10.7 | 5.9 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Sapa gets about 2259 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is very wet, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 6.0 months, from around Mar 27 to Sep 26, peaking in June at about 97% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Dec 20.
July is the wettest month by volume, with 396 mm over about 30 wet days; November is the driest, with 61 mm.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 40 | 46 | 55 | 72 | 84 | 95 | 96 | 92 | 75 | 55 | 36 | 32 |
| Rain days | 12 | 13 | 17 | 22 | 26 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 22 | 17 | 10 | 10 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 40 | 12 |
| Feb | 46 | 13 |
| Mar | 55 | 17 |
| Apr | 72 | 22 |
| May | 84 | 26 |
| Jun | 95 | 29 |
| Jul | 96 | 30 |
| Aug | 92 | 29 |
| Sep | 75 | 22 |
| Oct | 55 | 17 |
| Nov | 36 | 10 |
| Dec | 32 | 10 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Sapa collects about 2259 mm of rain across 237 wet days — roughly 188 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. July is the wettest month with 396 mm, while November is the driest at just 61 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 50% of the year’s total.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 82 | 73 | 132 | 177 | 236 | 344 | 396 | 385 | 202 | 108 | 61 | 63 |
| Rain days | 12 | 13 | 17 | 22 | 26 | 29 | 30 | 29 | 22 | 17 | 10 | 10 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82 | 12 |
| Feb | 73 | 13 |
| Mar | 132 | 17 |
| Apr | 177 | 22 |
| May | 236 | 26 |
| Jun | 344 | 29 |
| Jul | 396 | 30 |
| Aug | 385 | 29 |
| Sep | 202 | 22 |
| Oct | 108 | 17 |
| Nov | 61 | 10 |
| Dec | 63 | 10 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Sapa, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around September 26 and lasts for 7.6 months, ending around May 13. The clearest month is March, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 53% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around May 14 and lasts for 4.4 months, ending around September 25. The cloudiest month is June, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 93% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 41 | 49 | 53 | 52 | 30 | 7 | 9 | 15 | 28 | 39 | 49 | 45 |
| Cloudier (%) | 59 | 51 | 47 | 48 | 70 | 93 | 91 | 85 | 72 | 61 | 51 | 55 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41 | 59 |
| Feb | 49 | 51 |
| Mar | 53 | 47 |
| Apr | 52 | 48 |
| May | 30 | 70 |
| Jun | 7 | 93 |
| Jul | 9 | 91 |
| Aug | 15 | 85 |
| Sep | 28 | 72 |
| Oct | 39 | 61 |
| Nov | 49 | 51 |
| Dec | 45 | 55 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 14, brings about 13 h 24 min of light; the shortest, around December 14, only 10 h 36 min — a swing of roughly 2 h 48 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.8 | 11.2 | 11.8 | 12.5 | 13.1 | 13.3 | 13.2 | 12.8 | 12.1 | 11.5 | 10.9 | 10.7 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 6:51 | 6:42 | 6:19 | 5:49 | 5:29 | 5:24 | 5:33 | 5:45 | 5:55 | 6:05 | 6:23 | 6:42 |
| Sunset (PM) | 5:37 | 5:56 | 6:09 | 6:20 | 6:33 | 6:46 | 6:48 | 6:32 | 6:03 | 5:34 | 5:17 | 5:20 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10.8 | 6:51 | 5:37 |
| Feb | 11.2 | 6:42 | 5:56 |
| Mar | 11.8 | 6:19 | 6:09 |
| Apr | 12.5 | 5:49 | 6:20 |
| May | 13.1 | 5:29 | 6:33 |
| Jun | 13.3 | 5:24 | 6:46 |
| Jul | 13.2 | 5:33 | 6:48 |
| Aug | 12.8 | 5:45 | 6:32 |
| Sep | 12.1 | 5:55 | 6:03 |
| Oct | 11.5 | 6:05 | 5:34 |
| Nov | 10.9 | 6:23 | 5:17 |
| Dec | 10.7 | 6:42 | 5:20 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Sapa averages about 6 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 0 and 12 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 6.4 months, from around Oct 28 to May 9. The sunniest month is March, with roughly 11 sunny days (mixed).
The greyest month is June, down near 1 sunny days — about 94% fewer than the March peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 8 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 9 |
| Sky | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Gloomy | Mixed | Mixed |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8 | Mixed |
| Feb | 9 | Mixed |
| Mar | 12 | Mixed |
| Apr | 9 | Mixed |
| May | 4 | Gloomy |
| Jun | 1 | Gloomy |
| Jul | 1 | Gloomy |
| Aug | 1 | Gloomy |
| Sep | 4 | Gloomy |
| Oct | 5 | Gloomy |
| Nov | 8 | Mixed |
| Dec | 9 | Mixed |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Sapa, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 7.0 months, from around April 2 to October 30. The muggiest month is June, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 100% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around October 31 to April 1, and January is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 99% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 86 | 68 | 29 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 31 | 70 |
| Comfortable (%) | 14 | 28 | 42 | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 36 | 26 |
| Humid (%) | 1 | 3 | 28 | 50 | 19 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 39 | 28 | 4 |
| Muggy (%) | 0 | 0 | 1 | 30 | 69 | 62 | 62 | 69 | 70 | 40 | 5 | 0 |
| Oppressive (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 36 | 38 | 30 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 86 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 68 | 28 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 29 | 42 | 28 | 1 | 0 |
| Apr | 4 | 16 | 50 | 30 | 0 |
| May | 1 | 4 | 19 | 69 | 8 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 | 2 | 62 | 36 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 | 0 | 62 | 38 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 | 1 | 69 | 30 |
| Sep | 0 | 4 | 14 | 70 | 11 |
| Oct | 6 | 14 | 39 | 40 | 1 |
| Nov | 31 | 36 | 28 | 5 | 0 |
| Dec | 70 | 26 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Wind in Sapa is steady company: average speeds sit near 4 km/h — calm — in every month of the year, with no meaningful windy or calm season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4 | calm |
| Feb | 4 | calm |
| Mar | 4 | calm |
| Apr | 4 | calm |
| May | 4 | calm |
| Jun | 4 | calm |
| Jul | 4 | calm |
| Aug | 3 | calm |
| Sep | 3 | calm |
| Oct | 3 | calm |
| Nov | 3 | calm |
| Dec | 4 | calm |
Hazard calendar for Sapa
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Sapa's monsoon runs May–September, when most of the year's rain falls.
Best time to visit Sapa
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Sapa throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around late December, Sapa is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Sapa for general outdoor tourist activities run from early February to early April and again from late September to late January, with a peak score in the second week of November.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 5.4 | 5.6 | 5.8 | 5.0 | 4.1 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 5.7 | 6.4 | 5.9 |
| Rating | fair | good | good | fair | fair | poor | poor | fair | fair | good | good | good |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.4 | fair |
| Feb | 5.6 | good |
| Mar | 5.8 | good |
| Apr | 5.0 | fair |
| May | 4.1 | fair |
| Jun | 3.4 | poor |
| Jul | 3.4 | poor |
| Aug | 3.6 | fair |
| Sep | 4.5 | fair |
| Oct | 5.7 | good |
| Nov | 6.4 | good |
| Dec | 5.9 | good |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Sapa for hot-weather activities run from early March to late May and again from late August to late November, with a peak score in the first week of October.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Sapa, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around June (highs near 27°C), the essentials are light clothes and rain gear. In the cold season around January (highs near 18°C), pack rain gear.
In June, Sapa sees daytime highs around 27°C and nights near 21°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. About 29 days see rain.
UV index (midday) in Sapa by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sapa peaks around June 21 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 18 at about 5 (high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 6 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 10 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 7 | 5 |
| Level | High | Very high | Extreme | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | High | High |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6 | High |
| Feb | 8 | Very high |
| Mar | 11 | Extreme |
| Apr | 8 | Very high |
| May | 10 | Very high |
| Jun | 14 | Extreme |
| Jul | 13 | Extreme |
| Aug | 12 | Extreme |
| Sep | 10 | Very high |
| Oct | 8 | Very high |
| Nov | 7 | High |
| Dec | 5 | High |
Average hourly UV index in Sapa
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in June the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 9 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 7 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 5.5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 8.5 | 8 | 7.5 | 6.5 | 6 | 5 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 2 | 3.5 | 5.5 | 4.5 | 5.5 | 7 | 6.5 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 2.5 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5.5 | 2 |
| Feb | 6.5 | 3.5 |
| Mar | 7.5 | 5.5 |
| Apr | 7 | 4.5 |
| May | 8 | 5.5 |
| Jun | 9 | 7 |
| Jul | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Aug | 8 | 6 |
| Sep | 7.5 | 5 |
| Oct | 6.5 | 4 |
| Nov | 6 | 2.5 |
| Dec | 5 | 0 |
Air quality in Sapa by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in Sapa is worst in April — around 70 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 5.0× the cleanest month (July, 14 µg/m³).
Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 25 | 33 | 54 | 70 | 28 | 15 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 22 | 23 | 25 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Unhealthy | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25 | Moderate |
| Feb | 33 | Moderate |
| Mar | 54 | Poor |
| Apr | 70 | Unhealthy |
| May | 28 | Moderate |
| Jun | 15 | Moderate |
| Jul | 14 | Moderate |
| Aug | 15 | Moderate |
| Sep | 18 | Moderate |
| Oct | 22 | Moderate |
| Nov | 23 | Moderate |
| Dec | 25 | Moderate |
Growing season
Sapa is frost-free year round — even the coldest nights rarely reach freezing, so there is no start or end to the growing season.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Frost nights | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Sapa banks about 3,635 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around June.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 109 | 140 | 254 | 337 | 410 | 422 | 434 | 434 | 394 | 338 | 231 | 133 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 109 |
| Feb | 140 |
| Mar | 254 |
| Apr | 337 |
| May | 410 |
| Jun | 422 |
| Jul | 434 |
| Aug | 434 |
| Sep | 394 |
| Oct | 338 |
| Nov | 231 |
| Dec | 133 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Sapa receives about 4.0 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — moderate — with a clear seasonal swing between 2.9 and 5.2 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 7.5 months, from around Feb 24 to Oct 8. The brightest month is April, averaging about 5.1 kWh/m² (bright).
The dimmest month is December, down near 2.9 kWh/m² — roughly 42% less than the April peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 2.9 | 3.6 | 4.6 | 5.1 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 4.4 | 3.8 | 3.4 | 2.9 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.9 | Moderate |
| Feb | 3.6 | Moderate |
| Mar | 4.6 | Bright |
| Apr | 5.1 | Bright |
| May | 4.9 | Bright |
| Jun | 4.2 | Bright |
| Jul | 4.1 | Bright |
| Aug | 4.3 | Bright |
| Sep | 4.4 | Bright |
| Oct | 3.8 | Moderate |
| Nov | 3.4 | Moderate |
| Dec | 2.9 | Moderate |
Where is Sapa?
Sapa sits at 22.3°N, 103.8°E, 0 m above sea level, in Vietnam. The nearest listed city is Lào Cai, 21 km away.
Topography around Sapa
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Sapa.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Sapa has large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 957 m around an average of 1,481 m above sea level; within 16 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,006 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,050 m.
The land around Sapa is covered by trees (56%) and grassland (28%) within 3 km, trees (86%) within 16 km, and trees (84%) within 80 km.
Vietnam travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 1
- Exercise Normal Precautions
- Power plugs
- Type A / B / C / F
- 220 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 29% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $5,066
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.4 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 59%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 1.5
- per 100k, 2011
- Road deaths
- 30.6
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- Moderate
- EF EPI 500
- 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 Sapa (22.3402°, 103.8441°, elevation 0 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. 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).