Niigata weather by month & the best time to visit
Japan · coastal city break · humid subtropical climate
The best time to visit Niigata is May — its sunniest month (Sunshine Score 71/100), with June and September close behind. Niigata averages about 1,480 hours of sunshine a year. Daytime highs around 21°C / 70°F and roughly 86 mm of rain in May.
When is the best time to visit Niigata?
For sunshine, the best time to visit Niigata is May, then June and September. The dullest month is January (0/100, 150 mm of rain). The full month-by-month picture is in the table below.
How sunny is Niigata?
Niigata isn't a sunny place by world standards: about 1,480 hours of sunshine a year. 71 Sunshine Score points separate May (71) from January (0), so the month you pick matters. It ranks #73 of 79 destinations in Japan for annual sunshine, below the national median of 1,773 hours. The year's 1,646 mm of rain spreads fairly evenly across the months, with no pronounced dry season.
Sunshine Score by month
| Month | Score | Day high | Night low | Rain | UV | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 0 | 4° / 39°F | 0° / 32°F | 150 mm | 1 | 11° / 52°F |
| February | 0 | 5° / 41°F | 0° / 32°F | 94 mm | 2 | 10° / 50°F |
| March | 0 | 8° / 46°F | 2° / 36°F | 101 mm | 3 | 9° / 48°F |
| April | 41 | 15° / 59°F | 6° / 43°F | 92 mm | 4 | 13° / 55°F |
| May | 71 | 21° / 70°F | 12° / 54°F | 86 mm | 5 | 17° / 63°F |
| June | 66 | 25° / 77°F | 17° / 63°F | 115 mm | 6 | 22° / 72°F |
| July | 60 | 28° / 82°F | 21° / 70°F | 221 mm | 6 | 26° / 79°F |
| August | 60 | 30° / 86°F | 22° / 72°F | 153 mm | 6 | 29° / 84°F |
| September | 62 | 26° / 79°F | 19° / 66°F | 138 mm | 5 | 28° / 82°F |
| October | 60 | 20° / 68°F | 13° / 55°F | 153 mm | 3 | 23° / 73°F |
| November | 25 | 13° / 55°F | 7° / 45°F | 152 mm | 2 | 18° / 64°F |
| December | 0 | 7° / 45°F | 3° / 37°F | 191 mm | 1 | 13° / 55°F |
Sea temperature in Niigata by month
The sea off Niigata is warmest in August at around 29°C / 84°F, and coolest in March at 9°C / 48°F. The water sits at a comfortable 21°C or warmer roughly 5 months a year. Month-by-month sea-surface temperatures are in the Sea column of the table above.
Nearest destinations
Head-to-head
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Niigata: questions and answers
What kind of destination is Niigata?
Niigata is a coastal city break in Japan with a humid subtropical climate — the sea reaches 29°C at its warmest and is swimmable (21°C+) about 5 months a year.
How many hours of sunshine does Niigata get a year?
Niigata gets about 1,480 hours of sunshine a year, at its best around May.
When is the best time to visit Niigata?
The sunniest time to visit Niigata is May, when the Sunshine Score peaks at 71/100 (with June and September close behind). Expect daytime highs around 21°C / 70°F.
What is the least sunny month in Niigata?
January is the least sunny month in Niigata, scoring 0/100 with about 150 mm of rain.
What is the sea temperature in Niigata?
The sea in Niigata ranges from about 9°C (March) to 29°C (August). Month-by-month sea temperatures are on this page.
How strong is the sun in Niigata?
The typical midday UV index in Niigata peaks around 6 (high) in June, easing to about 1 (low) in January. Month-by-month midday UV values are in the UV column of the table on this page.
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