Hakuba
白馬36°42′ N 137°52′ EJMA1991-20201.4 to 20.8 °C
Table view
| Month | High °C | Low °C | Mean °C | Rain mm | Rain days | Snow depth cm | New snow cm | Sun h | Wind | m/s |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.4 | -7.2 | -2.8 | 141.5 | 17.2 | 82 | 216 | 71.3 | NNE | 1.2 |
| Feb | 2.6 | -7.3 | -2.4 | 125.9 | 14.5 | 97 | 174 | 96.1 | NNE | 1.3 |
| Mar | 7 | -3.6 | 1.2 | 136.2 | 14.3 | 70 | 110 | 136.9 | NNE | 1.4 |
| Apr | 14.6 | 1.7 | 7.6 | 126.4 | 11.7 | 7 | 7 | 169.6 | NNE | 1.5 |
| May | 20.8 | 7.8 | 13.8 | 135 | 11.9 | 0 | 0 | 193.8 | NNE | 1.4 |
| Jun | 23.6 | 13.1 | 17.7 | 211.4 | 12.8 | 0 | 0 | 146.1 | NNE | 1 |
| Jul | 27 | 17.7 | 21.5 | 280.8 | 16.3 | 0 | 0 | 138.8 | NNE | 0.9 |
| Aug | 28.4 | 18.5 | 22.6 | 177.7 | 12.3 | 0 | 0 | 169.1 | NNE | 0.9 |
| Sep | 23.6 | 14.3 | 18.2 | 181.9 | 11.9 | 0 | 0 | 118.8 | NNE | 0.9 |
| Oct | 17.7 | 7.4 | 11.9 | 136.5 | 10.3 | 0 | 0 | 128.6 | NNE | 0.9 |
| Nov | 11.5 | 0.9 | 5.5 | 100.4 | 11.5 | 7 | 14 | 112.1 | NNE | 1 |
| Dec | 4.5 | -4 | -0.1 | 135.6 | 16.5 | 46 | 130 | 75 | NNE | 1.1 |
Reading the seasons
Station
JMA's Hakuba AMeDAS station (block 0396) stands at 703 m on the floor of the Hakuba valley in Nagano. The lifts of every Hakuba resort climb well above it, so expect colder air on the upper slopes than these figures show. Every value is JMA's 1991–2020 normal.
Winter
January is the coldest month, with a mean daily low of −7.2 °C and a high of 1.4 °C. New snow totals 216 cm in January and 174 cm in February. On the valley floor the normal deepest snow peaks at 97 cm in February.
Spring
By April the normal deepest snow in the valley is down to 7 cm and daily highs reach 14.6 °C. May is the sunniest month at 193.8 hours. Rain peaks in July at 280.8 mm.
SnowSeries
Two snow series come from JMA's normals. snowDepthMax is the month's deepest snow on the ground in centimetres (最深積雪), and freshSnow is the month's total new snowfall in centimetres (降雪の深さ合計).
Rain
Rain days count the days with 1 mm or more of precipitation.
Wind
The windDir field holds JMA's most frequent wind direction (最多風向) for each month as the compass point the wind blows from.
Quick answers about Hakubaよくある質問
What is the weather like in Hakuba in January to February and April to May?
In January to February and April to May, Hakuba averages daily highs of 1.4 to 20.8 °C and lows of -7.3 to 7.8 °C, with 126 to 142 mm of rain a month, by the Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991-2020 normals. The most frequent wind in January comes from the NNE at a mean 1.2 m/s.
Which month is warmest in Hakuba?
August is the warmest month in Hakuba, with an average daily high of 28.4 °C, by the Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991-2020 normals.
Which month is wettest in Hakuba?
July is the wettest month in Hakuba, with 280.8 mm of rain on average, by the Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991-2020 normals.
In the journal and guides
Read more about Hakuba特集
Snow feature · 9 min read
Should you stay in Nozawa Onsen instead of Hakuba?
Nozawa suits riders who want to walk from the inn to the lifts in the morning and to a free village bath at night, on one big mountain at ¥7,800 a day. Hakuba suits anyone who wants ten resorts on one ticket and Epic Pass days.
Snow feature · 11 min read
Where should you base a week of deep snow in Myoko?
Akakura Onsen makes the best base for most riders, with two ski areas above its main street and the Mt. MYOKO shuttle to Ikenotaira and Suginohara. Save Seki Onsen for the morning after a storm and Arai for a day of lift-served freeride.
Practical guide · 8 min read
Should you ski Hakuba or Niseko?
Hakuba suits riders who want big alpine vertical and ten resorts on one ticket, a train ride from Tokyo. Niseko suits riders who want four linked resorts, lift-served gates under one set of rules and lights on every evening.
Practical guide · 6 min read
What does JaPow mean?
JaPow is skier slang for Japan's powder snow, a blend of Japan and pow. The snow comes from cold northwesterly winds that cross the Sea of Japan and unload on the mountains facing it, with January the snowiest month at every JMA station we keep near a ski area.