In April, Nagano Prefecture becomes more spring-like at once, with cherry blossoms and other spring flowers beginning to bloom in early April. On the other hand, there is still snow in the mountainous areas. April is definitely the best time for spring tourism.
Table of Contents
- Overview of Nagano Prefecture’s climate (year-round)
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Weather in Nagano Pref. in early April
- Weather in Nagano Pref. in mid-April
- Weather in Nagano Pref. in late April
- 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)
Light up of Cherry Blossoms and Japan Alps, Takato Castle Site Park, Nagano, Japan = 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 April?
In April, you can wear spring clothes. However, it is cooler in Nagano Prefecture than in Tokyo or Osaka, especially in the morning and evening when the temperature drops considerably, so a jacket is a must. If you are not used to the cold, you may want to bring a light coat. Those going to mountainous areas such as Hakuba and Kamikochi still need winter clothes. For more information on spring and winter clothing, please refer to the articles below.
When can I see cherry blossoms in Nagano Prefecture?
Recently, due to global warming, cherry blossoms are blooming earlier. However, in general, in the basin areas such as Nagano City and Matsumoto City, cherry blossoms start blooming at once around April 10 and are at their best around April 15. In areas near mountainous regions, they bloom in late April. In mountainous areas, they bloom in early May.
Weather in Nagano Pref. in early April
APRIL 10: People come to join Hanami Cherry Blossom festival at Ueda Castle Ruins Park, Nagano = Shutterstock
The “Hakuba” figures below are for Hakuba Village, and ski areas built on higher elevation northern slopes will have much cooler temperatures and snowfall.
| Average temperature Highest temperature (Lowest temperature) |
Total precipitation (Total snowfall depth) |
|
| Nagano City | 8.4 ℃ (47.1°F) 15.2℃ (59.4°F) 2.8 ℃ (37.0°F) |
18.7 mm (0.74 inch) 1 cm (0.39 inch) |
| Matsumoto | 8.6 ℃ (47.5°F) 15.9℃ (60.6°F) 2.3 ℃ (36.1°F) |
26.3 mm (1.04 inch) 1 cm (0.39 inch) |
| Hakuba | 5.2 ℃ (41.4°F) 12.0℃ (53.6°F) -0.3 ℃ (31.5°F) |
42.0 mm (1.62 inch) 5 cm (1.97 inch) |
| Karuizawa | 4.9 ℃ (40.8°F) 12.3℃ (54.1°F) -1.5 ℃ (29.3°F) |
27.4 mm (1.08 inch) 3 cm (1.18 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-April
TOYAMA,JAPAN – APRIL 17,2018 ; Tateyama Highland Bus running on the road between high snow wall,at Murodo station on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route = Shutterstock
April 19, 2019 : People visiting Blooming canola flowers in Chikuma River Park ,Obuse Town, Nagano Prefecture, Japan = Shutterstock
| Average temperature Highest temperature (Lowest temperature) |
Total precipitation (Total snowfall depth) |
|
| Nagano City | 10.7 ℃ (51.3°F) 17.5℃ (63.5°F) 5.1 ℃ (41.2°F) |
19.4 mm (0.76 inch) 1 cm (0.39 inch) |
| Matsumoto | 10.9 ℃ (51.6°F) 18.0 ℃ (64.4°F) 4.5 ℃ (40.1°F) |
30.5 mm (1.20 inch) 0 cm (0 inch) |
| Hakuba | 7.8 ℃ (46.0°F) 14.7℃ (58.5°F) 1.9 ℃ (35.4°F) |
41.4 mm (1.63 inch) 1 cm (0.39 inch) |
| Karuizawa | 7.1 ℃ (44.8°F) 14.4℃ (57.9°F) 0.7 ℃ (33.3°F) |
29.9 mm (1.18 inch) 2 cm (0.79 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 April
NAGANO,JAPAN – 23 April,2014: Zenkoji Temple in is one of the most important and popular temples in Japan = Shutterstock
| Average temperature Highest temperature (Lowest temperature) |
Total precipitation (Total snowfall depth) |
|
| Nagano City | 12.8 ℃ (55.0°F) 19.6℃ (67.3°F) 6.8 ℃ (44.2°F) |
18.8 mm (0.74 inch) 0 cm (0 inch) |
| Matsumoto | 12.9 ℃ (55.2°F) 20.0℃ (68.0°F) 6.3 ℃ (43.3°F) |
24.4 mm (0.96 inch) 0 cm (0 inch) |
| Hakuba | 9.9 ℃ (49.8°F) 17.0℃ (62.6°F) 3.6 ℃ (38.5°F) |
43.8 mm (1.72 inch) 1 cm (0.39 inch) |
| Karuizawa | 9.0 ℃ (48.2°F) 16.1℃ (61.0°F) 2.4 ℃ (36.3°F) |
23.7 mm (0.93 inch) 0 cm (0 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!
