Sapporo's climate is unlike the rest of Japan. Winters are long and seriously cold, with heavy snowfall from December through March and temperatures regularly dropping below minus ten. Summer is mild and pleasant, with temperatures in the low to mid twenties and none of the oppressive humidity that blankets cities further south.
February is when the famous Sapporo Snow Festival takes over Odori Park and the Susukino ice sculpture displays go up. The city is at its most crowded and expensive, but the festival is genuinely spectacular. Book well ahead.
June to September is the most comfortable season for sightseeing, with long days and warm weather. July brings the Hokkaido lavender season, and beer gardens open across the city.
December to March is ski season. Sapporo itself received over five metres of snow in an average winter, and the surrounding resorts offer some of the best powder skiing in Asia. The city functions perfectly well in the snow, but bring serious winter clothing.
April and May bring a late spring, with cherry blossoms arriving in Sapporo around early May, weeks after they have finished in Tokyo and Kyoto.