May, along with April, is the best season for spring tourism in Nagano Prefecture. Matsumoto and other major cities located in the basin enjoy sunny weather with comfortable spring temperatures. In mountainous areas such as Hakuba and Kamikochi, cherry blossoms begin to bloom in early May. The mountain ranges with snow still on the tops are very beautiful.
Table of Contents
- Overview of Nagano Prefecture’s climate (year-round)
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Weather in Nagano Pref. in early May
- Weather in Nagano Pref. in mid-May
- Weather in Nagano Pref. in late May
- Reference: Current weather and temperature in Nagano, forecast for the next 7 days
- Monthly weather in Nagano Pref.
- Weather in tourist destinations around Japan
Overview of Nagano Prefecture’s climate (year-round)
Japanese Northern Alps with terraced paddy field.This place is Aoni area.Hakuba Nagano Japan.Late May = Shutterstock
In Nagano prefecture, there is a big difference in climate depending on the location such as mountainous areas and basins. So, first, let’s get an overview of the climate of Nagano prefecture throughout the year.
Mountainous areas are cold and snowy
In Nagano prefecture in the central region of Honshu, mountainous areas (Japanese Alps) with an altitude of 2,000 to 3,000 m are connected from north to south, and major cities such as Nagano City and Matsumoto City are located in the basin. Mountainous areas such as Hakuba, Kamikochi, and Shiga Kogen are cold and ideal as summer resorts, but in winter it is very cold and it snows a lot.
Basins have relatively little snow
On the other hand, in Nagano City, Matsumoto City, Suwa City, Iida City, etc., which are located in the basin, the maximum temperature is as high as in Tokyo during the daytime in summer, but it is cool in the morning and evening. It doesn’t snow as much as in the mountains in winter, but it’s colder than in Tokyo and Osaka.
Karuizawa does not get much snow in winter
Karuizawa, an hour away from Tokyo on the Hokuriku Shinkansen, is a popular highland resort area as a summer resort. However, Karuizawa has much less snow than Hakuba and Shiga Kogen. The entire area of Nagano has less rainfall than other areas such as Tokyo. The cherry blossoms bloom a little later than in Tokyo and after early April.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I wear in Nagano Prefecture in May?
In May, if you are going to Matsumoto City or other major cities in Nagano Prefecture, you can wear spring clothes. You may want to wear a light jacket. If you are going to mountainous areas such as Hakuba, Kamikochi, or Shiga Kogen, you may need a light coat. For more information on spring clothing, please refer to the article below.
Can you play in the snow in Nagano Prefecture in May?
Basically, you cannot play in the snow in May. However, there is still snow in the mountainous areas. We recommend the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, which connects Omachi City, Nagano Prefecture, and Tateyama Town, Toyama Prefecture, by bus or ropeway. Visitors can see walls of snow dozens of meters high in the alpine region. In Hakuba, some ski resorts are open until early May.
Weather in Nagano Pref. in early May
May 1, 2012: Zenkoji Temple in Nagano, Japan = Shutterstock
| Average temperature Highest temperature (Lowest temperature) |
Total precipitation (Total snowfall depth) |
|
| Nagano City | 15.2℃ (59.4°F) 22.3℃ (72.1°F) 9.3 ℃ (48.7°F) |
19.9 mm (0.78 inch) – |
| Matsumoto | 15.4 ℃ (59.7°F) 15.9℃ (60.6°F) 2.3 ℃ (36.1°F) |
22.8mm (0.90 inch) – |
| Hakuba | 12.5 ℃ (54.5°F) 19.8℃ (67.6°F) 6.2 ℃ (43.2°F) |
45.0 mm (1.77 inch) – |
| Karuizawa | 11.2 ℃ (52.2°F) 18.4℃ (65.1°F) 4.7 ℃ (40.5°F) |
29.2 mm (1.15 inch) – |
※ Source: All figures are the average for 30 years of 1991-2020 announced by the Japan Meteorological Agency
>> Click here for a [quick reference] converted from Celsius to Fahrenheit.
Weather in Nagano Pref. in mid-May
Nagano, Japan – May 15, 2014 : Entrance area to Myojin Pond and Hotaka Shrine at Kamikochi. Even at this time of year, the mountains are still cold. = Shutterstock
| Average temperature Highest temperature (Lowest temperature) |
Total precipitation (Total snowfall depth) |
|
| Nagano City | 16.0℃ (60.8°F) 22.7℃ (72.9°F) 10.5 ℃ (50.9°F) |
25.5 mm (1.00 inch) – |
| Matsumoto | 16.2℃ (61.2°F) 23.3℃ (73.9°F) 1.5 ℃ (34.7°F) |
32.9 mm (1.30 inch) – |
| Hakuba | 13.5 ℃ (56.3°F) 20.4℃ (68.7°F) 7.6 ℃ (45.7°F) |
51.5 mm (2.03 inch) – |
| Karuizawa | 12.0 ℃ (53.6°F) 18.8℃ (65.8°F) 6.1 ℃ (43.0°F) |
36.6 mm (1.44 inch) – |
※Source: All figures are the average for 30 years of 1991-2020 announced by the Japan Meteorological Agency
Weather in Nagano Pref. in late May
Matsumoto – May 25, 2019: Frontal view of the castle of Matsumoto, Japan
| Average temperature Highest temperature (Lowest temperature) |
Total precipitation (Total snowfall depth) |
|
| Nagano City | 17.9℃ (64.2°F) 24.4℃ (75.9°F) 12.6 ℃ (54.7°F) |
23.9 mm (0.94 inch) – |
| Matsumoto | 17.7 ℃ (63.9°F) 24.7℃ (76.5°F) 11.9 ℃ (53.4°F) |
38.9 mm (1.53 inch) – |
| Hakuba | 15.2 ℃ (59.4°F) 22.0℃ (71.6°F) 9.4 ℃ (48.9°F) |
38.5 mm (1.52 inch) – |
| Karuizawa | 13.5 ℃ (56.3°F) 20.3℃ (68.5°F) 7.9 ℃ (46.2°F) |
43.0 mm (1.69 inch) – |
※ Source: All figures are the average for 30 years of 1991-2020 announced by the Japan Meteorological Agency
Reference: Current weather and temperature in Nagano, forecast for the next 7 days
Monthly weather in Nagano Pref.
Below are articles about the weather in Nagano Prefecture. Click on the month of interest to see articles about that month.
| January | February | March |
| April | May | June |
| July | August | September |
| October | November | December |
Weather in tourist destinations around Japan
Below are pages showing the climates of various regions in Japan at the same time of the year.
| Tokyo | Osaka | Kyoto |
| Hokkaido | Sendai | Nagano |
| Nagoya | Hiroshima | Fukuoka |
| Okinawa |
Now, let’s plan to make your vacation in Japan the best experience ever!
