snowingplaces

City in Iwate, Japan

Morioka

Inland city in northern Honshu with cold, snowy winters and the Appi and Hachimantai ski areas nearby.

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

Morioka snow forecast

Next 24 hours

No snow in the next 24 hours.

A small chance of snow on Thursday.

High confidence, all three forecast models agree

No snow is forecast for Morioka in the next 7 days, though one weather model shows a little. Expect temperatures from 9 to 16 °C (48 to 61 °F) and the freezing level near 3,200 m (10,500 ft) over the next day.

Temperature now
11 °C (52 °F)
Freezing level
3,200 m (10,500 ft)
Wind
7 km/h (4 mph), gusts 17 km/h (11 mph)
Sky now
Partly cloudy, 58% cloud

Morioka hour by hour

Hourly snowfall

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

Morioka 7-day snow forecast

DayWeatherSnowfall
TonightDry10 to 11 °C (50 to 52 °F) · freezing level 3,250 m (10,700 ft)No snow
SatCloudy8 to 16 °C (46 to 61 °F) · freezing level 3,000 m (9,800 ft)No snow
SunRain8 to 11 °C (46 to 52 °F) · freezing level 2,250 m (7,400 ft)No snow
MonSome sun3 to 12 °C (37 to 54 °F) · freezing level 1,300 m (4,300 ft)No snow
TueSome sun0 to 9 °C (32 to 48 °F) · freezing level 1,000 m (3,300 ft)No snow
WedRain5 to 14 °C (41 to 57 °F) · gusts 53 km/h (33 mph) · freezing level 2,450 m (8,000 ft)No snow
ThuChance of snow2 to 11 °C (36 to 52 °F) · gusts 73 km/h (45 mph) · freezing level 800 m (2,600 ft)0–4 cm (0–2 in)

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.

Morioka 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 NovRain1 to 4 °C (34 to 39 °F)No snow
Sat 21 NovRain1 to 3 °C (34 to 37 °F)No snow
Sun 22 NovRain0 to 3 °C (32 to 37 °F)No snow
Mon 23 NovRain0 to 5 °C (32 to 41 °F)No snow
Tue 24 NovSome sun2 to 6 °C (36 to 43 °F)No snow
Wed 25 NovSome sun−1 to 5 °C (30 to 41 °F)No snow
Thu 26 NovSunny0 to 7 °C (32 to 45 °F)No snow

How much snow is there in Morioka?

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 Morioka?

Prefecture
Iwate
Country
Japan
Elevation
135 m
Population
290,553

When does it snow in Morioka?

In Morioka, snow falls on about 8 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 Morioka, 2016–2025
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember
8 days8 days4 days<1 days0 days0 days0 days0 days0 days<1 days1 days8 days

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

Snow in Morioka 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 Morioka, 2016 to 2025
MonthSnow daysShare of the year's snowLow to high
January831%−5 to 3 °C (23 to 37 °F)
February824%−5 to 3 °C (23 to 37 °F)
March414%−1 to 9 °C (30 to 48 °F)
April<12%4 to 15 °C (39 to 59 °F)
May00%10 to 20 °C (50 to 68 °F)
June00%15 to 24 °C (59 to 75 °F)
July00%20 to 28 °C (68 to 82 °F)
August00%21 to 29 °C (70 to 84 °F)
September00%16 to 24 °C (61 to 75 °F)
October<10%9 to 18 °C (48 to 64 °F)
November15%3 to 11 °C (37 to 52 °F)
December825%−2 to 5 °C (28 to 41 °F)

Snow in Morioka in December

In December, Morioka gets snow on about 8 days, and the month brings about 25% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −2 to 5 °C (28 to 41 °F).

Snow in Morioka in January

In January, Morioka gets snow on about 8 days, and the month brings about 31% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −5 to 3 °C (23 to 37 °F).

Snow in Morioka in February

In February, Morioka gets snow on about 8 days, and the month brings about 24% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −5 to 3 °C (23 to 37 °F).

Snow in Morioka in March

In March, Morioka gets snow on about 4 days, and the month brings about 14% of the year's snowfall. Daily temperatures usually run from −1 to 9 °C (30 to 48 °F).

Which winters were snowiest in Morioka?

Of the last ten winters in Morioka, 2017/18 was the snowiest, about 40% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2024/25, about 27% below average. The biggest single day of snowfall in the record was 18 January 2016.

Snowfall in Morioka for each of the last ten winters, as a percentage of the ten-year average
WinterCompared with average
2016/17101% of average
2017/18140% of average
2018/1995% of average
2019/20100% of average
2020/21103% of average
2021/22115% of average
2022/2395% of average
2023/2495% of average
2024/2573% of average
2025/2684% 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 Morioka

Does Morioka have snow at Christmas?

Morioka had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Christmas Day in 9 of the 10 years from 2016 to 2025. Fresh snow fell during 20 to 26 December in 8 of those years.

Does Morioka have snow at New Year?

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

Does Morioka have snow in mid-February?

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

Does Morioka have snow at Easter?

Morioka had at least 2.5 cm (1 in) of snow on the ground on Easter Sunday in 3 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 Morioka?

It snows on about 30 days a year in Morioka, counting days with at least 1 cm of snowfall, averaged over 2016 to 2025. January has the most, about 8 days.

What is the snowiest month in Morioka?

January is the snowiest month in Morioka, bringing about 31% of the year's snowfall, based on ERA5 reanalysis data for 2016 to 2025.

Which recent winter was the snowiest in Morioka?

Of the last ten winters in Morioka, 2017/18 was the snowiest, about 40% above the ten-year average. The leanest was 2024/25, about 27% below average.

How cold does Morioka get in winter?

January is the coldest month in Morioka, with average daily lows of −5 °C (23 °F) and highs of 3 °C (37 °F).

Snow forecasts near Morioka

Map of ski resorts and cities within 150 km of MoriokaAkita, about 90 km away, no snow this week; Aomori, about 130 km away, no snow this week.50 km100 km150 kmNAkita: No snow this weekAomori: No snow this weekAkitaAomoriMorioka
Blue dots expect snow in the next 7 days. Distances are straight lines, not driving distances.
AkitaCity, about 90 km awayNo snow this weekAomoriCity, about 130 km awayNo snow this weekYamagataCity, about 170 km awayNo snow this weekHakodateCity, about 230 km away0–5 cm this week

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