City in Ishikawa, Japan
Kanazawa
Historic city on the Sea of Japan coast, where the gardens are famous under winter snow.
Kanazawa snow forecast
Out of season.
Forecasts for Kanazawa pause outside the snow season and start again in November. The snow record below shows when it usually snows here.
Where is Kanazawa?
When does it snow in Kanazawa?
In Kanazawa, snow falls on about 12 days in January in a typical year, the snowiest month. Snow is regular from December to March.
| January | February | March | April | May | June | July | August | September | October | November | December |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 days | 10 days | 3 days | <1 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | <1 days | 8 days |
Average days each month with at least 1 cm of snowfall, 2016–2025. Calculated from ERA5 reanalysis data.
Snow in Kanazawa month by month
Averages for 2016 to 2025, from ERA5 reanalysis data.
| Month | Snow days | Share of the year's snow | Low to high |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 12 | 38% | 1 to 6 °C (34 to 43 °F) |
| February | 10 | 32% | 1 to 7 °C (34 to 45 °F) |
| March | 3 | 6% | 4 to 12 °C (39 to 54 °F) |
| April | <1 | 1% | 8 to 17 °C (46 to 63 °F) |
| May | 0 | 0% | 13 to 22 °C (55 to 72 °F) |
| June | 0 | 0% | 18 to 25 °C (64 to 77 °F) |
| July | 0 | 0% | 23 to 29 °C (73 to 84 °F) |
| August | 0 | 0% | 24 to 31 °C (75 to 88 °F) |
| September | 0 | 0% | 20 to 27 °C (68 to 81 °F) |
| October | 0 | 0% | 14 to 21 °C (57 to 70 °F) |
| November | <1 | 1% | 8 to 15 °C (46 to 59 °F) |
| December | 8 | 21% | 3 to 9 °C (37 to 48 °F) |
Snow in Kanazawa in December
In December, Kanazawa gets snow on about 8 days, and the month brings about 21% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 3 to 9 °C (37 to 48 °F).
Snow in Kanazawa in January
In January, Kanazawa gets snow on about 12 days, and the month brings about 38% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 1 to 6 °C (34 to 43 °F).
Snow in Kanazawa in February
In February, Kanazawa gets snow on about 10 days, and the month brings about 32% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 1 to 7 °C (34 to 45 °F).
Snow in Kanazawa in March
In March, Kanazawa gets snow on about 3 days, and the month brings about 6% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 4 to 12 °C (39 to 54 °F).
Which winters were snowiest in Kanazawa?
Of the last ten winters in Kanazawa, 2024/25 was the snowiest, about 95% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2019/20, about 75% below average. The biggest single day of snowfall in the record was 2 January 2026.
| Winter | Compared with average | |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 80% of average | |
| 2017/18 | 131% of average | |
| 2018/19 | 64% of average | |
| 2019/20 | 25% of average | |
| 2020/21 | 69% of average | |
| 2021/22 | 119% of average | |
| 2022/23 | 92% of average | |
| 2023/24 | 89% of average | |
| 2024/25 | 195% of average | |
| 2025/26 | 135% of average |
Winters are compared with each other rather than given in centimetres. The ERA5 record is reliable on which winters were big and which were lean, but it underestimates absolute snowfall in the mountains, so the resort's own measured totals are the ones to trust for amounts.
Questions about snow in Kanazawa
Does Kanazawa have snow at Christmas?
Kanazawa had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Christmas Day in 4 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 20 to 26 December in 8 of those years.
Does Kanazawa have snow at New Year?
Kanazawa had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on New Year's Day in 4 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 27 December to 2 January in 9 of those years.
Does Kanazawa have snow in mid-February?
Kanazawa had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on 15 February in 6 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 10 to 20 February in every one of those years.
Does Kanazawa have snow at Easter?
Kanazawa had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Easter Sunday in none of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during Good Friday to Easter Monday in none of those years.
How many days a year does it snow in Kanazawa?
It snows on about 34 days a year in Kanazawa, counting days with at least 1 cm of snowfall, averaged over 2016 to 2025. January has the most, about 12 days.
What is the snowiest month in Kanazawa?
January is the snowiest month in Kanazawa, bringing about 38% of the year's snowfall, based on ERA5 reanalysis data for 2016 to 2025.
Which recent winter was the snowiest in Kanazawa?
Of the last ten winters in Kanazawa, 2024/25 was the snowiest, about 95% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2019/20, about 75% below average.
How cold does Kanazawa get in winter?
January is the coldest month in Kanazawa, with average daily lows of 1 °C (34 °F) and highs of 6 °C (43 °F).
Snow forecasts near Kanazawa
Nearest ski resorts to Kanazawa
Sources: Kanazawa on Wikidata, Elevation from the Open-Meteo terrain model at the city centre coordinates