Saitama Weather Forecast

Yes. Kumagaya is a national byword for heat, combining warm air blown inland off the Tokyo conurbation with foehn wind coming over the mountains. Expect 35°C-plus afternoons through late July and August, a couple of degrees above central Tokyo.

Rarely on the plain — a few settling falls a year at most. Chichibu in the west is another matter, cold enough for the Misotsuchi icicles to form and hold through January and February.

Late March to May, and October into November: dry, mild and sunny. That is also when the prefecture's two best outdoor draws land, Chichibu's shibazakura in mid-April and its gorges in late autumn.