City in Iwate, Japan
Morioka
Inland city in northern Honshu with cold, snowy winters and the Appi and Hachimantai ski areas nearby.
Morioka snow forecast
Out of season.
Forecasts for Morioka pause outside the snow season and start again in October. The snow record below shows when it usually snows here.
Where is Morioka?
When does it snow in Morioka?
In Morioka, snow falls on about 8 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 days | 8 days | 4 days | <1 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | 0 days | <1 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 Morioka 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 | 8 | 31% | −5 to 3 °C (23 to 37 °F) |
| February | 8 | 24% | −5 to 3 °C (23 to 37 °F) |
| March | 4 | 14% | −1 to 9 °C (30 to 48 °F) |
| April | <1 | 2% | 4 to 15 °C (39 to 59 °F) |
| May | 0 | 0% | 10 to 20 °C (50 to 68 °F) |
| June | 0 | 0% | 15 to 24 °C (59 to 75 °F) |
| July | 0 | 0% | 20 to 28 °C (68 to 82 °F) |
| August | 0 | 0% | 21 to 29 °C (70 to 84 °F) |
| September | 0 | 0% | 16 to 24 °C (61 to 75 °F) |
| October | <1 | 0% | 9 to 18 °C (48 to 64 °F) |
| November | 1 | 5% | 3 to 11 °C (37 to 52 °F) |
| December | 8 | 25% | −2 to 5 °C (28 to 41 °F) |
Snow in Morioka in December
In December, Morioka gets snow on about 8 days, and the month brings about 25% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −2 to 5 °C (28 to 41 °F).
Snow in Morioka in January
In January, Morioka gets snow on about 8 days, and the month brings about 31% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −5 to 3 °C (23 to 37 °F).
Snow in Morioka in February
In February, Morioka gets snow on about 8 days, and the month brings about 24% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −5 to 3 °C (23 to 37 °F).
Snow in Morioka in March
In March, Morioka gets snow on about 4 days, and the month brings about 14% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −1 to 9 °C (30 to 48 °F).
Which winters were snowiest in Morioka?
Of the last ten winters in Morioka, 2017/18 was the snowiest, about 40% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2024/25, about 27% below average. The biggest single day of snowfall in the record was 18 January 2016.
| Winter | Compared with average | |
|---|---|---|
| 2016/17 | 101% of average | |
| 2017/18 | 140% of average | |
| 2018/19 | 95% of average | |
| 2019/20 | 100% of average | |
| 2020/21 | 103% of average | |
| 2021/22 | 115% of average | |
| 2022/23 | 95% of average | |
| 2023/24 | 95% of average | |
| 2024/25 | 73% of average | |
| 2025/26 | 84% 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 Morioka
Does Morioka have snow at Christmas?
Morioka had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Christmas Day in 9 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 20 to 26 December in 8 of those years.
Does Morioka have snow at New Year?
Morioka had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on New Year's Day in every one of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 27 December to 2 January in 9 of those years.
Does Morioka have snow in mid-February?
Morioka had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on 15 February in every one of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 10 to 20 February in every one of those years.
Does Morioka have snow at Easter?
Morioka had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Easter Sunday in 3 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 Morioka?
It snows on about 30 days a year in Morioka, counting days with at least 1 cm of snowfall, averaged over 2016 to 2025. January has the most, about 8 days.
What is the snowiest month in Morioka?
January is the snowiest month in Morioka, bringing about 31% of the year's snowfall, based on ERA5 reanalysis data for 2016 to 2025.
Which recent winter was the snowiest in Morioka?
Of the last ten winters in Morioka, 2017/18 was the snowiest, about 40% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2024/25, about 27% below average.
How cold does Morioka get in winter?
January is the coldest month in Morioka, with average daily lows of −5 °C (23 °F) and highs of 3 °C (37 °F).
Snow forecasts near Morioka
Sources: Morioka on Wikidata, Elevation from the Open-Meteo terrain model at the city centre coordinates