Sekiyama
関山36°56′ N 138°13′ EJMA1991-20203.3 to 20.7 °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 | 3.3 | -2.7 | 0 | 284.2 | 22.4 | 172 | 385 | 58.1 | SSW | 2.1 |
| Feb | 3.9 | -3 | 0.3 | 178.6 | 18.2 | 192 | 291 | 76.5 | SSW | 2.2 |
| Mar | 7.8 | -0.3 | 3.4 | 127.8 | 17.6 | 149 | 159 | 110.4 | SSW | 2.2 |
| Apr | 15 | 5 | 9.8 | 74.2 | 11.6 | 43 | 18 | 163.4 | SSW | 2.5 |
| May | 20.7 | 11 | 15.6 | 81.4 | 10.8 | 0 | 0 | 192.3 | SSW | 2.4 |
| Jun | 23.4 | 15.7 | 19.3 | 118.6 | 12.4 | 0 | 0 | 131.1 | SSW | 1.9 |
| Jul | 27.1 | 20.1 | 23.2 | 179.9 | 14.9 | 0 | 0 | 122.1 | SSW | 1.7 |
| Aug | 28.6 | 21.1 | 24.4 | 150 | 12.5 | 0 | 0 | 161 | SSW | 1.8 |
| Sep | 24.6 | 16.9 | 20.3 | 160.8 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 114.5 | SSW | 1.9 |
| Oct | 18.8 | 10.9 | 14.5 | 151.9 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 119.2 | SSW | 2.2 |
| Nov | 12.9 | 4.9 | 8.5 | 142.5 | 15.2 | 6 | 12 | 102.2 | SSW | 2.3 |
| Dec | 6.6 | -0.1 | 2.9 | 256.6 | 19.7 | 88 | 220 | 71 | SSW | 2.1 |
Reading the seasons
Station
JMA's Sekiyama AMeDAS station (block 0998) stands at 350 m in Myoko city, Niigata. It sits in the valley below Myoko Kogen, where the ski areas start higher up the mountain, so the resorts run colder than these figures. Every value is JMA's 1991–2020 normal.
Winter
January averages 385 cm of new snow, and precipitation of 1 mm or more falls on 22.4 days that month. February holds the deepest normal snowpack at 192 cm. The valley air stays mild for that much snow, with January highs of 3.3 °C and lows of −2.7 °C.
Spring
April's normal deepest snow falls to 43 cm as daily highs reach 15.0 °C. May is the sunniest month at 192.3 hours.
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 Sekiyamaよくある質問
What is the weather like in Sekiyama in January to February and April to May?
In January to February and April to May, Sekiyama averages daily highs of 3.3 to 20.7 °C and lows of -3 to 11 °C, with 74 to 284 mm of rain a month, by the Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991-2020 normals. The most frequent wind in January comes from the SSW at a mean 2.1 m/s.
Which month is warmest in Sekiyama?
August is the warmest month in Sekiyama, with an average daily high of 28.6 °C, by the Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991-2020 normals.
Which month is wettest in Sekiyama?
January is the wettest month in Sekiyama, with 284.2 mm of rain on average, by the Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991-2020 normals.
In the journal and guides
Read more about Sekiyama特集
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 · 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.
Practical guide · 9 min read
When is the best time to ski in Japan?
Mid-January to the end of February brings the most snow on Honshu and in Tohoku. Book around New Year and the 2027 holiday weekends, or wait for March and April, when the days run long and spring prices kick in.