Yamagata climate
Yamagata (Japan) has a hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dfa). The average temperature over the year is 10 °C51 °F, and about 1,363 mm54 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Yamagata climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 134 | −622 | −228 | 973.8 | 30 |
| Feb | 236 | −522 | −229 | 622.5 | 27 |
| Mar | 744 | −228 | 236 | 833.3 | 25 |
| Apr | 1457 | 337 | 847 | 843.3 | 7 |
| May | 1967 | 947 | 1457 | 863.4 | 0 |
| Jun | 2374 | 1456 | 1865 | 1134.5 | 0 |
| Jul | 2780 | 1864 | 2272 | 2028.0 | 0 |
| Aug | 2882 | 1967 | 2374 | 1495.9 | 0 |
| Sep | 2475 | 1559 | 1967 | 1385.4 | 0 |
| Oct | 1763 | 847 | 1355 | 1435.6 | 0 |
| Nov | 1152 | 236 | 744 | 943.7 | 8 |
| Dec | 440 | −327 | 133 | 1114.4 | 26 |
| Year | 2882 | −622 | 1051 | 1,36354 | 123 |
“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 | 90% | 81% | 1.7 | 9:47 |
| Feb | 88% | 79% | 2.5 | 10:43 |
| Mar | 83% | 75% | 3.5 | 11:51 |
| Apr | 80% | 71% | 4.5 | 13:09 |
| May | 80% | 72% | 5.0 | 14:14 |
| Jun | 81% | 77% | 4.9 | 14:49 |
| Jul | 85% | 83% | 4.3 | 14:34 |
| Aug | 84% | 74% | 4.4 | 13:38 |
| Sep | 85% | 76% | 3.6 | 12:22 |
| Oct | 85% | 71% | 2.9 | 11:07 |
| Nov | 87% | 72% | 2.0 | 10:02 |
| Dec | 89% | 80% | 1.5 | 9:31 |
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 Yamagata is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 28 °C82 °F and a low of 19 °C67 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 1 °C34 °F and lows −6 °C22 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 25.8 °C46.4 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,363 mm54 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 36% of the annual total. The wettest month is July (202 mm8.0 in), the driest is February (62 mm2.5 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 80% in May to 90% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 71%) are typical of April. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in July to 11 km/h (7 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 9.5 hours in December to 14.8 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in December–March, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in January, about 19 cm).
Best time to visit Yamagata
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May and June: average highs of 19 °C67 °F to 23 °C74 °F with 86 mm3.4 in to 113 mm4.5 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 1 °C34 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to 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 Yamagata
- Winter (December–February) — highs 134 to 4 °C40 °F, lows −622 to −3 °C27 °F, about 90 mm3.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack a winter coat, hat, gloves and warm, non-slip boots, shoes with good grip, as frost is common and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 744 to 19 °C67 °F, lows −228 to 9 °C47 °F, about 84 mm3.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2374 to 28 °C82 °F, lows 1456 to 19 °C67 °F, about 155 mm6.1 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 1152 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 236 to 15 °C59 °F, about 125 mm4.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Yamagata compares
Compared with Sendai, about 44 km to the east, Yamagata is on average 1.3 °C2.3 °F cooler and receives 12% less precipitation (1,363 mm54 in vs 1,547 mm61 in). The difference is largest in June (1.5 °C2.6 °F cooler).
Of the 111 places in Japan covered by World Climates, Yamagata is the 102nd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 98th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Japan climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Providence (United States, Dfa), Waterbury (United States, Dfa) and New Haven (United States, Dfa).
Nearby places
- Sendai 44 km · 12 °C53 °F · 1,547 mm61 in
- Fukushima 54 km · 12 °C54 °F · 1,363 mm54 in
- Ōsaki 66 km · 12 °C54 °F · 1,316 mm52 in
- Tsuruoka 72 km · 12 °C54 °F · 1,581 mm62 in
- Ishinomaki 84 km · 12 °C54 °F · 1,316 mm52 in
- Sakata 88 km · 12 °C54 °F · 1,767 mm70 in
- Aizu-Wakamatsu 90 km · 12 °C54 °F · 1,349 mm53 in
- Kōriyama 93 km · 12 °C53 °F · 1,302 mm51 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Yamagata?
August is the warmest month in Yamagata, with an average high of 28 °C (82 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (67 °F).
What is the coldest month in Yamagata?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 1 °C (34 °F) and an average low of -6 °C (22 °F).
When does it rain the most in Yamagata?
July is the wettest month with about 202 mm (8.0 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 62 mm (2.5 in).
What is the best time to visit Yamagata?
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 — most of all 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.