snowingplaces

City in Nagano, Japan

Nagano

Host of the 1998 Winter Olympics and the gateway to Hakuba, Shiga Kogen and Nozawa Onsen.

Forecast updated , when it was 19:00 in Nagano (GMT+9).

Nagano snow forecast

Next 24 hours

No snow in the next 24 hours.

No snow expected in the next 7 days.

High confidence, all three forecast models agree

No snow is forecast for Nagano in the next 7 days, and all three weather models we compare agree. Expect temperatures from 6 to 16 °C (43 to 61 °F) and the freezing level near 3,250 m (10,700 ft) over the next day.

Temperature now
9 °C (48 °F)
Freezing level
3,250 m (10,700 ft)
Wind
2 km/h (1 mph), gusts 6 km/h (4 mph)
Sky now
Overcast, 90% cloud

Nagano hour by hour

Hourly snowfall

No rain or snow in Nagano in the next 24 hours.

Nagano 7-day snow forecast

DayWeatherSnowfall
TonightDry8 to 9 °C (46 to 48 °F) · freezing level 3,200 m (10,500 ft)No snow
SatCloudy6 to 16 °C (43 to 61 °F) · freezing level 3,200 m (10,500 ft)No snow
SunRain10 to 13 °C (50 to 55 °F) · freezing level 3,050 m (10,000 ft)No snow
MonRain7 to 12 °C (45 to 54 °F) · freezing level 2,400 m (7,900 ft)No snow
TueCloudy6 to 15 °C (43 to 59 °F) · freezing level 2,700 m (8,900 ft)No snow
WedRain9 to 14 °C (48 to 57 °F) · freezing level 2,800 m (9,200 ft)No snow
ThuRain5 to 10 °C (41 to 50 °F) · gusts 44 km/h (27 mph) · freezing level 1,350 m (4,400 ft)No snow

Sky is graded over the ski day, 9am to 4pm. Bluebird means at least two of the three models show clear skies all day, none shows overcast, and no snow or rain is forecast. Models are weaker on cloud than on snow, and none of them can see valley fog, so treat it as a good sign rather than a promise.

Nagano 14-day snow outlook

Days 8 to 14. Only two of our three models run this far ahead, and forecasts at this range often change, so read this as a guide to the pattern rather than a plan.

DayWeatherSnowfall
Fri 20 NovRain3 to 10 °C (37 to 50 °F)No snow
Sat 21 NovRain3 to 9 °C (37 to 48 °F)No snow
Sun 22 NovSunny1 to 9 °C (34 to 48 °F)No snow
Mon 23 NovRain1 to 11 °C (34 to 52 °F)No snow
Tue 24 NovSome sun2 to 11 °C (36 to 52 °F)No snow
Wed 25 NovCloudy2 to 8 °C (36 to 46 °F)No snow
Thu 26 NovSome sun3 to 11 °C (37 to 52 °F)No snow

How much snow is there in Nagano?

No snow on the ground

This is an estimate from weather models, not a measurement, so it can differ from the depth a resort reports on its pistes.

Where is Nagano?

Prefecture
Nagano
Country
Japan
Elevation
368 m
Population
367,184

When does it snow in Nagano?

In Nagano, snow falls on about 11 days in January in a typical year, the snowiest month. Snow is regular from December to March.

Average days per month with at least 1 cm of snowfall in Nagano, 2016–2025
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
11 days9 days5 days<1 days0 days0 days0 days0 days0 days0 days2 days9 days

Average days each month with at least 1 cm of snowfall, 2016–2025. Calculated from ERA5 reanalysis data.

Snow in Nagano month by month

Averages for 2016 to 2025, from ERA5 reanalysis data.

Average snow days, share of annual snowfall, temperature and sunny days by month in Nagano, 2016 to 2025
MonthSnow daysShare of the year's snowLow to high
January1131%−5 to 5 °C (23 to 41 °F)
February924%−4 to 6 °C (25 to 43 °F)
March515%0 to 11 °C (32 to 52 °F)
April<11%5 to 17 °C (41 to 63 °F)
May00%11 to 22 °C (52 to 72 °F)
June00%16 to 25 °C (61 to 77 °F)
July00%20 to 29 °C (68 to 84 °F)
August00%21 to 31 °C (70 to 88 °F)
September00%18 to 26 °C (64 to 79 °F)
October00%10 to 19 °C (50 to 66 °F)
November23%4 to 14 °C (39 to 57 °F)
December926%−2 to 8 °C (28 to 46 °F)

Snow in Nagano in December

In December, Nagano gets snow on about 9 days, and the month brings about 26% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −2 to 8 °C (28 to 46 °F).

Snow in Nagano in January

In January, Nagano gets snow on about 11 days, and the month brings about 31% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −5 to 5 °C (23 to 41 °F).

Snow in Nagano in February

In February, Nagano gets snow on about 9 days, and the month brings about 24% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −4 to 6 °C (25 to 43 °F).

Snow in Nagano in March

In March, Nagano gets snow on about 5 days, and the month brings about 15% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 0 to 11 °C (32 to 52 °F).

Which winters were snowiest in Nagano?

Of the last ten winters in Nagano, 2024/25 was the snowiest, about 45% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2020/21, about 35% below average. The biggest single day of snowfall in the record was 29 January 2016.

Snowfall in Nagano for each of the last ten winters, as a percentage of the ten-year average
WinterCompared with average
2016/17124% of average
2017/1883% of average
2018/1980% of average
2019/2077% of average
2020/2165% of average
2021/22116% of average
2022/2386% of average
2023/24129% of average
2024/25145% of average
2025/2693% 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 Nagano

Does Nagano have snow at Christmas?

Nagano 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 9 of those years.

Does Nagano have snow at New Year?

Nagano had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on New Year's Day in 9 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 27 December to 2 January in 9 of those years.

Does Nagano have snow in mid-February?

Nagano 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 Nagano have snow at Easter?

Nagano had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Easter Sunday in 7 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during Good Friday to Easter Monday in 1 of those years.

How many days a year does it snow in Nagano?

It snows on about 36 days a year in Nagano, counting days with at least 1 cm of snowfall, averaged over 2016 to 2025. January has the most, about 11 days.

What is the snowiest month in Nagano?

January is the snowiest month in Nagano, bringing about 31% of the year's snowfall, based on ERA5 reanalysis data for 2016 to 2025.

Which recent winter was the snowiest in Nagano?

Of the last ten winters in Nagano, 2024/25 was the snowiest, about 45% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2020/21, about 35% below average.

How cold does Nagano get in winter?

January is the coldest month in Nagano, with average daily lows of −5 °C (23 °F) and highs of 5 °C (41 °F).

Snow forecasts near Nagano

Map of ski resorts and cities within 150 km of NaganoShiga Kogen, about 30 km away, 2–15 cm this week; Hakuba Valley, about 30 km away, 25–95 cm this week; Nozawa Onsen, about 40 km away, 0–10 cm this week; Toyama, about 90 km away, no snow this week; Kanazawa, about 140 km away, no snow this week.50 km100 km150 kmNShiga Kogen: 2–15 cm this weekHakuba Valley: 25–95 cm this weekNozawa Onsen: 0–10 cm this weekToyama: No snow this weekKanazawa: No snow this weekHakuba ValleyNozawa OnsenToyamaKanazawaNagano
Blue dots expect snow in the next 7 days. Distances are straight lines, not driving distances.
Shiga KogenSki resort, about 30 km away2–15 cm this weekHakuba ValleySki resort, about 30 km away25–95 cm this weekNozawa OnsenSki resort, about 40 km away0–10 cm this weekToyamaCity, about 90 km awayNo snow this week

Nearest ski resorts to Nagano

Sources: Nagano on Wikidata, Elevation from the Open-Meteo terrain model at the city centre coordinates