On this page, I will discuss the weather in Hokkaido during the month of April. The weather of Hokkaido is quite different from Tokyo. In Hokkaido, snow may still fall even in April. It gets much warmer during the day but sometimes it is pretty cold, so take caution. This article contains many pictures that will help you imagine the weather in April in Hokkaido, so please refer to them.
Below are articles about the monthly weather in Hokkaido. Click on an article if you want to know more.
| January | February | March |
| April | May | June |
| July | August | September |
| October | November | December |
Below are articles on the weather in Tokyo and Osaka in April.
Table of Contents
Q & A about Hokkaido in April
Does snow fall in April in Hokkaido?
In the first half of April, snow may fall in some cities such as Asahikawa and Sapporo. However, in urban areas, you will generally find it difficult to find snow covered landscapes. On the other hand, snow still falls in the mountains. You can still enjoy winter sports at Niseko and other ski resorts.
How cold is Hokkaido in April?
The temperature of Hokkaido will gradually rise in April. By mid-April, the daytime maximum temperature will exceed 10 degrees Celsius. In urban areas such as Sapporo, cherry blossoms begin to bloom in late April as spring comes.
What kind of clothes should we wear in April in Hokkaido?
In early April, you need a coat and gloves. Snow boots are preferable to sneakers. In mid-April, sneakers will be fine. By late April, you will not need coats or gloves. You should still bring a jumper. In the mountains and Shiretoko, coats and gloves are required even in late April.
Winter and spring coexist in Hokkaido throughout April. So it is quite difficult to decide what kind of clothes to wear. Generally, I recommend that you bring a coat. For winter and spring clothes, please refer to the following articles.
When is the best time to visit Hokkaido?
If you want to enjoy snowy winter landscapes, January and February are the best months to visit. If you want to see beautiful flower fields, July and August are the best.
Weather in Hokkaido in April (overview)
Temperature change in Hokkaido (Sapporo) in April
Graph: Temperature change in Hokkaido (Sapporo) in April
※ Based on the data released by the Japan Meteorological Agency. Both high and low temperature data are averages over the past 30 years (1981-2010)
>> Click here for a [quick reference] converted from Celsius to Fahrenheit.
As you can see from the above graph, the season changes from winter to spring in Hokkaido in April.
Overview
April 27 ,2016 : Prof.William S.Clark statue monument front of University and text with Boys.be Ambitious in Hitsujigaoka Observation Hill view = Shutterstock
April 10,2017: A group join ski race at winter Niseko, Hokkaido = Shutterstock
In April, cherry blossoms will begin to bloom in Tokyo and Osaka. After that, the trees and grass will turn to a beautiful green color. However, in Hokkaido, cherry blossoms do not bloom during this time. On the contrary, in early April, it sometimes snows in the western part near the Sea of Japan. Even if it does not snow, mornings and evenings are still quite chilly. I think that you still need a coat or jumper.
Of course, winter does not last, even in Hokkaido. Even if snow falls, it does not pile up. Days that exceed 10 degrees Celsius are more consistent. In the second half of April, the temperature in the day rises steadily and may exceed 20 degrees. At this time, cherry blossoms will finally bloom.
It is not unusual to cool down to less than 10 degrees in the mornings and evenings, even if it exceeds 20 degrees in the daytime. This temperature difference is intense in Hokkaido. So, I recommend that you bring a warm coat.
Even during this time, snow remains in the mountainous areas. So at ski resorts you can enjoy winter sports. You can also experience a world of snow in Daisetsuzan, a mountainous area located in the center of Hokkaido.
Below is the weather data of April of Hokkaido released by the Japan Meteorological Agency.
You can see from this data that the temperature difference on any particular day can be extreme.Map of Hokkaido..
Hokkaido weather in early April
Map of Hokkaido
Weather data in Hokkaido (early April)
| Highest temperature (Lowest temperature) |
Total precipitation (Total snowfall depth) |
|
| Sapporo | 10.2℃ (1.3℃) | 16.6mm (9cm) |
| Otaru | 8.4℃ (1.2℃) | 18.1mm (12cm) |
| Asahikawa | 8.9℃ (-1.8℃) | 13.7mm (15cm) |
| Biei | 7.0℃ (-3.5℃) | 14.5mm (20cm) |
| Furano | 8.1℃ (-2.4℃) | 15.6mm (18cm) |
| Wakkanai | 5.5℃ (0.6℃) | 11.4mm (14cm) |
| Abashiri | 6.8℃ (-1.0℃) | 16.7mm (13cm) |
| Utoro | 5.8℃ (-1.7℃) | 22.9mm (26cm) |
| Nemuro | 5.6℃ (-0.9℃) | 18.9mm (7cm) |
| Kushiro | 6.1℃ (-1.0℃) | 20.1mm (5cm) |
| Obihiro | 9.7℃ (-1.1℃) | 14.6mm (5cm) |
| Hakodate | 10.2℃ (1.1℃) | 17.2mm (3cm) |
※ All figures are the average for 30 years of 1981-2010 announced by the Japan Meteorological Agency
Hokkaido at this time seen in photos
APRIL 4, 2016: Entrance gate of Hokkaido Shrine (Hokkaido Jingu) with tourists in winter in Sapporo. Hokkaido, Japan = Shutterstock
Weather and sunrise / sunset time
In early April, cherry blossoms begin to fall in major cities in the south such as Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto. However, it is still cold in Hokkaido. The maximum daytime temperatures will finally exceed 10 degrees Celsius. Snow disappears in urban areas, but it is cold in the morning and evenings so you need a coat.
In early April, sunrise time in Sapporo is about 5:11 and sunset time is about 18:05.
The sunrise time in Nemuro, located in Eastern Hokkaido, is about 4:54 and the sunset time is about 17:48.
Hokkaido weather in the middle of April
Weather data in Hokkaido (middle of April)
| Highest temperature (Lowest temperature) |
Total precipitation (Total snowfall depth) |
|
| Sapporo | 11.5℃ (3.2℃) | 19.2mm (2cm) |
| Otaru | 10.7℃ (2.4℃) | 18.2mm (3cm) |
| Asahikawa | 11.7℃ (-0.1℃) | 15.3mm (7cm) |
| Biei | 10.1℃ (-1.5℃) | 15.6mm (9cm) |
| Furano | 11.0℃ (-0.4℃) | 18.0mm (7cm) |
| Wakkanai | 7.1℃ (1.7℃) | 18.4mm (6cm) |
| Abashiri | 9.0℃ (0.3℃) | 13.6mm (4cm) |
| Utoro | 8.1℃ (-0.4℃) | 27.3mm (14cm) |
| Nemuro | 7.1℃ (0.2℃) | 15.6mm (5cm) |
| Kushiro | 7.5℃ (0.2℃) | 22.7mm (3cm) |
| Obihiro | 11.8℃ (0.5℃) | 20.8mm (3cm) |
| Hakodate | 11.6℃ (2.4℃) | 24.4mm (1cm) |
※ All figures are the average for 30 years of 1981-2010 announced by the Japan Meteorological Agency
Hokkaido at this time seen in photos
April 18, 2018 Hokkaido history development pillar, horse-drawn train runs with customers, scenery of horse-drawn rail rails and townscape = Shutterstock
April 18,2014 : Unidentified people visiting Mount Daisetsu in Hokkaido, Japan. To enjoying a beautiful winter with snowboard, Hokkaido = Shutterstock
Weather and sunrise / sunset time
In mid-April, the daytime maximum temperature in Hokkaido may rise to nearly 20 degrees Celsius but there are also cold days throughout. In mid-April, there are cities where the morning and evening low temperatures are below freezing. The temperature difference is extreme so I recommend you bring a coat or jumper if you want to go out at night.
In mountainous areas and ski resorts you can still enjoy a world of snow.
In mid-April, sunrise time in Sapporo is about 4:54 and sunset time is about 18:16.
The sunrise time in Nemuro, located in Eastern Hokkaido, is about 4:37 and the sunset time is about 18:00.
Hokkaido weather in late April
Weather data in Hokkaido (late April)
| Highest temperature (Lowest temperature) |
Total precipitation (Total snowfall depth) |
|
| Sapporo | 13.9℃ (5.1℃) | 21.0mm (0cm) |
| Otaru | 13.3℃ (4.3℃) | 21.1mm (0cm) |
| Asahikawa | 14.5℃ (2.0℃) | 18.7mm (1cm) |
| Biei | 12.9℃ (0.8℃) | 18.9mm (1cm) |
| Furano | 13.5℃ (1.8℃) | 19.9mm (1cm) |
| Wakkanai | 9.2℃ (3.2℃) | 19.2mm (2cm) |
| Abashiri | 11.0℃ (2.1℃) | 21.8mm (5cm) |
| Utoro | 10.4℃ (1.5℃) | 37.8mm (14cm) |
| Nemuro | 8.9℃ (1.7℃) | 32.0mm (1cm) |
| Kushiro | 9.4℃ (1.7℃) | 33.0mm (1cm) |
| Obihiro | 14.2℃ (2.3℃) | 23.5mm (1cm) |
| Hakodate | 13.6℃ (4.4℃) | 28.6mm (–) |
※ All figures are the average for 30 years of 1981-2010 announced by the Japan Meteorological Agency
Hokkaido at this time seen in photos
APRIL 24, 2016: Unidentified people at the Fountain of Odori park in front of Sapporo TV tower, Sapporo, Hokkaido = Shutterstock
April 30, 2018 : Aerial view at dayt skiing in Niseko Village. Niseko is a popular destination for ski resorts in Hokkaido Japan = Shutterstock
Weather and sunrise / sunset time
Hokkaido will be warmer in late April. From South Hokkaido, cherry blossoms will begin to bloom in turn. However, it is still very cold in the morning and evening. If you go out at night you will need a coat or jumper.
In some large ski resorts such as Niseko, snow remains on the northern slope. You can still enjoy winter sports.
In late April, the sunrise time in Sapporo is about 4:38 and the sunset time is about 18:28.
The sunrise time in Nemuro, located in Eastern Hokkaido, is about 4:21, and the sunset time is about 18:12.
※ Sunrise and sunset times are based on the 2019 data released by the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan. I posted the time of the 5th for the beginning of April, the time of the 15th for the middle of April, and the time of the 25th for the end of April.
Reference: Current weather and temperature in Hokkaido, forecast for the next 7 days
Weather in tourist destinations around Japan
Below are pages showing the climates of various regions in Japan at the same time of the year.
| Tokyo | Osaka | Kyoto |
| Hokkaido | Sendai | Nagano |
| Nagoya | Hiroshima | Fukuoka |
| Okinawa |
Thank you for reading to the end.
For Hokkaido, please refer to the following article if you like.
>> Hokkaido! 21 Popular Tourist Areas and 10 Airports
>> New Chitose Airport! Access to Sapporo, Niseko, Furano etc.
Now, let’s plan to make your vacation in Japan the best experience ever!
