Autumn Leaves in Sapporo: A Short Season
Contents
- Why is autumn so short in Sapporo?
- Do the days also get shorter?
- How can I check the timing for this year?
- What should I plan around?
- FAQ
- Why is autumn so short in Sapporo?
- When is the best time to see autumn leaves in Sapporo?
- Can I see autumn leaves and snow on the same trip?
- Does Sapporo get dark early in autumn?
- Where can I read about the first snow and the full year?
In short: autumn in Sapporo is short because the city cools quickly and winter follows soon after. By the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) 1991 to 2020 normals, the average temperature falls from 18.6 °C in September to 12.1 °C in October and 5.2 °C in November. The normal first snow is October 28. I do not give “best viewing” dates here, because they change every year. Instead, this post shows how to check the timing from official sources. Which sources to trust, and how to plan around them, is my suggestion.
If you are coming from a warm country, you may have heard that Sapporo has beautiful autumn colors. This post explains, in plain English, why the season is short and how to find the right dates for your own trip.
Please read this first: this post is general information. I am a private resident of Sapporo, not a company, a weather forecaster, or a tour operator, and I am not affiliated with any park, facility, or event organizer. I do not write color conditions, viewing dates, opening hours, fees, or events here. Weather and daylight numbers are copied from my other posts, which took them from the JMA and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ). Numbers checked on October 9, 2026. I have not opened the official sites listed below while writing this post (see the sources line), so please check them yourself.
Why is autumn so short in Sapporo?
Because the change from warm to cold is fast. Here are the JMA’s monthly normals for Sapporo (average of 1991 to 2020):
| Item | September | October | November |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average temperature | 18.6 °C | 12.1 °C | 5.2 °C |
| Average daily low to high | 14.8 to 22.8 °C | 8.0 to 16.4 °C | 1.6 to 8.7 °C |
| Days with snow | 0.0 | 1.9 | 15.6 |
Source: JMA, Sapporo monthly normals (平年値（年・月ごとの値）), as used in my post Best Time to Visit Sapporo: A Local’s Season-by-Season Calendar. Temperatures are listed so that you can compare them with your own city; this post gives no clothing advice.
The average temperature drops by about 6.5 °C from September to October, and by about 7 °C from October to November. In the same normals, snow days jump from about 2 in October to about 16 in November. The JMA’s normal date of first snow in Sapporo is October 28. The details are in When Does It Snow in Sapporo? The First Snow and How the City Changes.
My suggestion: think of autumn in Sapporo as a short window between a cool September and a snowy November. I have not found a source that measures how long the leaf season lasts, so I do not give a number of days.
Do the days also get shorter?
Yes, quickly. In the NAOJ sunrise and sunset table for Sapporo, as I calculated it (sunset minus sunrise, rounded to the minute), daylight on the 15th of the month is:
| Date (2026) | Daylight (my calculation) |
|---|---|
| September 15 | 12 h 32 min |
| October 15 | 11 h 06 min |
| November 15 | 9 h 45 min |
That is almost 3 hours less in two months. For everyday life, it means that by mid-November the sun sets around 16:11 (NAOJ). My suggestion: if you want to walk outside in autumn, plan for the morning and early afternoon.
How can I check the timing for this year?
The timing differs from year to year, so I do not guess it. These are the places I suggest checking, in this order. Only the top pages of the official sites are listed, because I have not confirmed deeper pages.
- Japan Meteorological Agency (気象庁): https://www.jma.go.jp/. It has weather forecasts and past weather data for Sapporo. It also keeps records of first snow and similar events. The numbers above come from the JMA (monthly normals, and the Sapporo Regional Headquarters’ first-snow normals) and the NAOJ. The JMA also publishes seasonal observation records (生物季節観測) with the dates of ginkgo yellowing (いちょうの黄葉日) and maple reddening (かえでの紅葉日). These are past records, not a forecast. I have not opened these pages for this post.
- Sapporo City (札幌市): https://www.city.sapporo.jp/. This is the city government’s official site. Park information is published by the city, so please look for the park you plan to visit.
- Sapporo’s official sightseeing site, Welcome to Sapporo: https://www.sapporo.travel/en/. It is run for tourism in Sapporo and has an English version. I have not confirmed whether it is operated by the Sapporo tourism association, so please check the operator on the site.
My suggestion: check these about one to two weeks before you travel, and again a few days before. If the official information for your dates is not clear, treat any date you read on a blog (including this one) as a rough guide only.
What should I plan around?
- Keep your dates flexible if you can. The window is short, and a single year can move earlier or later.
- Do not plan the whole trip around leaves. The first-snow normal is October 28, so cold and snow in late October or November are possible.
- Check the opening conditions of any place you want to visit. I do not list hours or fees, because they change and belong to the operators.
- For the whole year, see Best Time to Visit Sapporo: A Local’s Season-by-Season Calendar.
These are my suggestions. The facts are the JMA and NAOJ numbers above.
FAQ
Why is autumn so short in Sapporo?
By the JMA 1991 to 2020 normals, the average temperature falls from 18.6 °C in September to 12.1 °C in October and 5.2 °C in November, and snow days rise from about 2 in October to about 16 in November. So the city moves from cool weather to winter in a short time.
When is the best time to see autumn leaves in Sapporo?
I do not give dates, because they change every year. Please check the JMA, Sapporo City, and Welcome to Sapporo (links above) close to your trip. I have not opened those pages for this post.
Can I see autumn leaves and snow on the same trip?
It may be possible, because the JMA’s normal first snow is October 28. But a single year can differ by several days, and snow does not mean the leaves are still there. I cannot say how likely it is, so please check the latest information.
Does Sapporo get dark early in autumn?
Yes. By my calculation from the NAOJ table, daylight on the 15th is 12 h 32 min in September, 11 h 06 min in October, and 9 h 45 min in November.
Where can I read about the first snow and the full year?
Use When Does It Snow in Sapporo? The First Snow and How the City Changes for the first snow, and Best Time to Visit Sapporo: A Local’s Season-by-Season Calendar for the whole year.
Sources: weather and daylight numbers are from my posts Best Time to Visit Sapporo and When Does It Snow in Sapporo?, which used the Japan Meteorological Agency, 気象庁｜過去の気象データ検索: 札幌 平年値（年・月ごとの値） (Sapporo monthly normals) (Japanese), 初雪などの平年値 (normals of first snow and similar events) (Japanese), and the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, Sunrise/Sunset @ Sapporo (Hokkaido) 2026-09, 2026-10 and 2026-11 (numbers checked on October 9, 2026). Places to check, not opened or confirmed while writing this post: Japan Meteorological Agency, Sapporo City, and Welcome to Sapporo (top pages only). This post is general information, not a forecast or a viewing guide; please check the official sources for current information.
