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Weather in January in Hokkaido

Are you planning a trip a to Hokkaido in January and wondering what kind of weather to expect? This page has all the details you need.

What is the weather like in Hokkaido in January?

Hokkaido is a region in Japan. January in Hokkaido generally has very cold temperatures, with precipitation levels ranging from moderate to high. During January, winter is in full swing.

Temperatures

The average maximum temperatures are very cold and range from -6°C in Kamikawa to 2°C in Erimo. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to -3°C in Erimo and -14°C in Kamikawa. Typically, it's the chilliest month of the year. Making it a great time for staying indoors and enjoying the warmth. Make sure you're prepared by packing the right winter outfits.

To explore the conditions in Hokkaido in more detail, check the map below.

Precipitation

In January, precipitation varies across different areas. From moderate snowfall in Chitose with an average of 51 mm to high snowfall in Rishirifuji with 119 mm.

Average sunshine

Most cities witness limited sunny days, expect roughly 93 hours of sunlight in Sapporo. This low amount of sunlight is perfect for those who lean towards dimmer, cloudier weather rather than intense sunny days.

For more details on the yearly climate, visit our Hokkaido climate page.

Where to go in Hokkaido in January

Find more information for the most popular destinations in the Hokkaido on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more details.

Map not visible? Whoops sorry! Please refresh the page.
Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor
Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C and 29°C and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm a month).

Select a Month of Interest

Check the conditions for any month of the year.

For a detailed overview over the year and the best time to visit Japan, check out our Hokkaido's climate page.

Popular destinations

What is the weather like in January for the 5 most popular destinations in Hokkaido?

Sapporo

In January Sapporo generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -1°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -9°C and moderate monthly snowfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Sapporo
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snowfall precipitationSnowfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
12°C 
4°C 
1,749 hours 
1229 mm 
255 days 
-1°C 
-9°C 
93 hours 
69 mm 
28 days 
poor 
-0°C 
-9°C 
102 hours 
67 mm 
25 days 
poor 
Climate in Sapporo

Niseko

In January Niseko generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -2°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -9°C and moderate monthly snowfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Niseko
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snowfall precipitationSnowfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
12°C 
3°C 
1,749 hours 
1322 mm 
263 days 
-2°C 
-9°C 
93 hours 
89 mm 
30 days 
poor 
-1°C 
-9°C 
102 hours 
85 mm 
27 days 
poor 
Climate in Niseko

Hakodate

In January Hakodate generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 1°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -4°C and moderate monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Hakodate
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snow/rainfall precipitationSnow/rainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
12°C 
7°C 
1,761 hours 
1399 mm 
252 days 
1°C 
-4°C 
104 hours 
62 mm 
28 days 
poor 
1°C 
-4°C 
120 hours 
66 mm 
25 days 
poor 
Climate in Hakodate

Furano

In January Furano generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -4°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -12°C and moderate monthly snowfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Furano
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
precipitationMonthly snowfall precipitationSnowfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
10°C 
2°C 
1431 mm 
254 days 
poor 
-4°C 
-12°C 
88 mm 
26 days 
poor 
-3°C 
-12°C 
84 mm 
24 days 
poor 
Climate in Furano

Obihiro

In January Obihiro generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around -2°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -14°C and moderate monthly snowfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Obihiro
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
precipitationMonthly snowfall precipitationSnowfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
12°C 
2°C 
1254 mm 
211 days 
-2°C 
-14°C 
62 mm 
17 days 
poor 
-1°C 
-13°C 
57 mm 
16 days 
poor 
Climate in Obihiro

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in Hokkaido, in Japan.

Is January the best time to visit Hokkaido?

In our view, January might not be the best time to travel to Hokkaido with often poor weather in Sapporo.

On average, the best time to visit Hokkaido is in June with generally perfect weather in Sapporo. In contrast, January, February, March, November and December tend to have poor weather conditions.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in Hokkaido.

Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to Japan? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in Japan.

Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal travel conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.