Niigata climate
Niigata (Japan) has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The average temperature over the year is 15 °C58 °F, and about 1,702 mm67 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Niigata climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 643 | 439 | 541 | 1676.6 | 1 |
| Feb | 643 | 338 | 541 | 1054.1 | 1 |
| Mar | 847 | 541 | 744 | 1074.2 | 0 |
| Apr | 1355 | 947 | 1151 | 953.7 | 0 |
| May | 1763 | 1456 | 1660 | 843.3 | 0 |
| Jun | 2271 | 1865 | 2068 | 1124.4 | 0 |
| Jul | 2578 | 2373 | 2475 | 2138.4 | 0 |
| Aug | 2882 | 2577 | 2679 | 1455.7 | 0 |
| Sep | 2576 | 2271 | 2374 | 1415.5 | 0 |
| Oct | 2067 | 1762 | 1865 | 1515.9 | 0 |
| Nov | 1458 | 1153 | 1355 | 1686.6 | 0 |
| Dec | 949 | 644 | 846 | 2158.5 | 0 |
| Year | 2882 | 338 | 1558 | 1,70267 | 2 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 78% | 89% | 1.6 | 9:48 |
| Feb | 76% | 85% | 2.4 | 10:44 |
| Mar | 74% | 80% | 3.5 | 11:51 |
| Apr | 76% | 74% | 4.4 | 13:08 |
| May | 80% | 72% | 5.2 | 14:12 |
| Jun | 81% | 79% | 5.0 | 14:47 |
| Jul | 85% | 82% | 4.5 | 14:33 |
| Aug | 80% | 72% | 4.7 | 13:37 |
| Sep | 76% | 75% | 3.8 | 12:22 |
| Oct | 73% | 75% | 2.9 | 11:08 |
| Nov | 75% | 78% | 2.0 | 10:04 |
| Dec | 79% | 87% | 1.5 | 9:33 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Niigata is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 28 °C82 °F and a low of 25 °C77 °F. The coldest is February, when highs average 6 °C43 °F and lows 3 °C38 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 21.4 °C38.5 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,702 mm67 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is November–January, which brings 32% of the annual total. The wettest month is December (215 mm8.5 in), the driest is May (84 mm3.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 73% in October to 85% in July. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 72%) are typical of May. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in July to 23 km/h (14 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 9.5 hours in December to 14.8 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in January and February. In those months the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm. It is deepest in January, at about 13 cm.
Best time to visit Niigata
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May and June. Average highs then reach 17 °C63 °F to 22 °C71 °F. Precipitation is 84 mm3.3 in to 112 mm4.4 in per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 6 °C43 °F and very wet (167 mm6.6 in).
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an ideal. That means an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Niigata
- Winter (December–February) — highs 643 to 9 °C49 °F, lows 338 to 6 °C44 °F, about 162 mm6.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 847 to 17 °C63 °F, lows 541 to 14 °C56 °F, about 95 mm3.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2271 to 28 °C82 °F, lows 1865 to 25 °C77 °F, about 157 mm6.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1458 to 25 °C76 °F, lows 1153 to 22 °C71 °F, about 153 mm6.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Niigata compares
The nearest larger place is Sendai, about 164 km to the east. Compared with it, Niigata is on average 2.9 °C5.3 °F warmer. It receives 10% more precipitation (1,702 mm67 in vs 1,547 mm61 in). The difference is largest in January (5.9 °C10.6 °F warmer).
World Climates covers 111 places in Japan. By annual mean temperature, Niigata is the 69th warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 51st wettest. See all of them on the Japan climate page.
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall. The closest matches are Sochi (Russia, Cfa), Atlantic City (United States, Cfa) and Giresun (Turkey, Cfa).
Nearby places
- Climate in Nagaoka 55 km · 14 °C57 °F · 1,922 mm76 in
- Climate in Aizu-Wakamatsu 93 km · 12 °C54 °F · 1,349 mm53 in
- Climate in Jōetsu 112 km · 15 °C58 °F · 1,812 mm71 in
- Climate in Tsuruoka 112 km · 12 °C54 °F · 1,581 mm62 in
- Climate in Yamagata 121 km · 10 °C51 °F · 1,363 mm54 in
- Climate in Fukushima 127 km · 12 °C54 °F · 1,363 mm54 in
- Climate in Sakata 131 km · 12 °C54 °F · 1,767 mm70 in
- Climate in Kōriyama 132 km · 12 °C53 °F · 1,302 mm51 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Niigata?
August is the warmest month in Niigata. Its average high is 28 °C (82 °F) and its average low is 25 °C (77 °F).
What is the coldest month in Niigata?
February is the coldest month. Its average high is 6 °C (43 °F) and its average low is 3 °C (38 °F).
When does it rain the most in Niigata?
December is the wettest month with about 215 mm (8.5 in) of precipitation. May is the driest with about 84 mm (3.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Niigata?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May and June.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station. So they can differ from airport records. The gaps are largest on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.