Niigata Weather Forecast

Some of the heaviest at low altitude anywhere on earth. Echigo-Yuzawa and Tokamachi routinely sit under two to three metres from January to March, fed by Siberian wind crossing the Sea of Japan — which is the entire basis of the ski industry here.

Less than the mountains inland. The city gets frequent snow that often melts between falls, and the defining feature of its winter is grey sky and wind rather than depth. Half an hour inland the picture changes completely.

May to June and September to October: clear, dry and green, with the rice terraces at their best in early summer. August is hot and humid, though the coast runs a few degrees kinder than inland.