snowingplaces

City in Ishikawa, Japan

Kanazawa

Historic city on the Sea of Japan coast, where the gardens are famous under winter snow.

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

Kanazawa 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 Kanazawa in the next 7 days, and all three weather models we compare agree. Expect temperatures from 11 to 19 °C (52 to 66 °F) and the freezing level near 3,250 m (10,700 ft) over the next day.

Temperature now
15 °C (59 °F)
Freezing level
3,250 m (10,700 ft)
Wind
5 km/h (3 mph), gusts 9 km/h (6 mph)
Sky now
Overcast, 93% cloud

Kanazawa hour by hour

Hourly snowfall

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

Kanazawa 7-day snow forecast

DayWeatherSnowfall
TonightDry13 to 15 °C (55 to 59 °F) · freezing level 3,350 m (11,000 ft)No snow
SatCloudy11 to 19 °C (52 to 66 °F) · freezing level 3,200 m (10,500 ft)No snow
SunRain14 to 17 °C (57 to 63 °F) · freezing level 3,000 m (9,800 ft)No snow
MonCloudy11 to 16 °C (52 to 61 °F) · freezing level 2,400 m (7,900 ft)No snow
TueCloudy10 to 15 °C (50 to 59 °F) · freezing level 2,800 m (9,200 ft)No snow
WedRain12 to 18 °C (54 to 64 °F) · gusts 69 km/h (43 mph) · freezing level 2,550 m (8,400 ft)No snow
ThuCloudy9 to 12 °C (48 to 54 °F) · gusts 75 km/h (47 mph) · freezing level 1,200 m (3,900 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.

Kanazawa 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 NovRain8 to 10 °C (46 to 50 °F)No snow
Sat 21 NovChance of snow7 to 9 °C (45 to 48 °F) · 1 of 2 models show snow0–2 cm (under 1 in)
Sun 22 NovCloudy6 to 9 °C (43 to 48 °F)No snow
Mon 23 NovRain6 to 12 °C (43 to 54 °F)No snow
Tue 24 NovSome sun7 to 12 °C (45 to 54 °F)No snow
Wed 25 NovCloudy5 to 11 °C (41 to 52 °F)No snow
Thu 26 NovSunny5 to 12 °C (41 to 54 °F)No snow

How much snow is there in Kanazawa?

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 Kanazawa?

Prefecture
Ishikawa
Country
Japan
Elevation
39 m
Population
462,479

When does it snow in Kanazawa?

In Kanazawa, snow falls on about 12 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 Kanazawa, 2016–2025
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
12 days10 days3 days<1 days0 days0 days0 days0 days0 days0 days<1 days8 days

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

Snow in Kanazawa 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 Kanazawa, 2016 to 2025
MonthSnow daysShare of the year's snowLow to high
January1238%1 to 6 °C (34 to 43 °F)
February1032%1 to 7 °C (34 to 45 °F)
March36%4 to 12 °C (39 to 54 °F)
April<11%8 to 17 °C (46 to 63 °F)
May00%13 to 22 °C (55 to 72 °F)
June00%18 to 25 °C (64 to 77 °F)
July00%23 to 29 °C (73 to 84 °F)
August00%24 to 31 °C (75 to 88 °F)
September00%20 to 27 °C (68 to 81 °F)
October00%14 to 21 °C (57 to 70 °F)
November<11%8 to 15 °C (46 to 59 °F)
December821%3 to 9 °C (37 to 48 °F)

Snow in Kanazawa in December

In December, Kanazawa gets snow on about 8 days, and the month brings about 21% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 3 to 9 °C (37 to 48 °F).

Snow in Kanazawa in January

In January, Kanazawa gets snow on about 12 days, and the month brings about 38% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 1 to 6 °C (34 to 43 °F).

Snow in Kanazawa in February

In February, Kanazawa gets snow on about 10 days, and the month brings about 32% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 1 to 7 °C (34 to 45 °F).

Snow in Kanazawa in March

In March, Kanazawa gets snow on about 3 days, and the month brings about 6% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from 4 to 12 °C (39 to 54 °F).

Which winters were snowiest in Kanazawa?

Of the last ten winters in Kanazawa, 2024/25 was the snowiest, about 95% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2019/20, about 75% below average. The biggest single day of snowfall in the record was 2 January 2026.

Snowfall in Kanazawa for each of the last ten winters, as a percentage of the ten-year average
WinterCompared with average
2016/1780% of average
2017/18131% of average
2018/1964% of average
2019/2025% of average
2020/2169% of average
2021/22119% of average
2022/2392% of average
2023/2489% of average
2024/25195% of average
2025/26135% 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 Kanazawa

Does Kanazawa have snow at Christmas?

Kanazawa had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Christmas Day in 4 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 20 to 26 December in 8 of those years.

Does Kanazawa have snow at New Year?

Kanazawa had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on New Year's Day in 4 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 27 December to 2 January in 9 of those years.

Does Kanazawa have snow in mid-February?

Kanazawa had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on 15 February in 6 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 10 to 20 February in every one of those years.

Does Kanazawa have snow at Easter?

Kanazawa had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Easter Sunday in none of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during Good Friday to Easter Monday in none of those years.

How many days a year does it snow in Kanazawa?

It snows on about 34 days a year in Kanazawa, counting days with at least 1 cm of snowfall, averaged over 2016 to 2025. January has the most, about 12 days.

What is the snowiest month in Kanazawa?

January is the snowiest month in Kanazawa, bringing about 38% of the year's snowfall, based on ERA5 reanalysis data for 2016 to 2025.

Which recent winter was the snowiest in Kanazawa?

Of the last ten winters in Kanazawa, 2024/25 was the snowiest, about 95% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2019/20, about 75% below average.

How cold does Kanazawa get in winter?

January is the coldest month in Kanazawa, with average daily lows of 1 °C (34 °F) and highs of 6 °C (43 °F).

Snow forecasts near Kanazawa

Map of ski resorts and cities within 150 km of KanazawaToyama, about 50 km away, no snow this week; Hakuba Valley, about 110 km away, 25–95 cm this week; Nagano, about 140 km away, no snow this week.50 km100 km150 kmNToyama: No snow this weekHakuba Valley: 25–95 cm this weekNagano: No snow this weekToyamaHakuba ValleyNaganoKanazawa
Blue dots expect snow in the next 7 days. Distances are straight lines, not driving distances.
ToyamaCity, about 50 km awayNo snow this weekHakuba ValleySki resort, about 110 km away25–95 cm this weekNaganoCity, about 140 km awayNo snow this weekNozawa OnsenSki resort, about 160 km away0–10 cm this week

Nearest ski resorts to Kanazawa

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