Climate
The climate of Yamagata Prefecture is characterized by long hot humid summers and long snowy winters. Both spring and autumn are short, the former often cold, the latter often warm, but both quite dry and sunny. Yamagata Prefecture, along with northern parts of Miyagi and Iwate are the transition areas from humid subtropical climate (Koppen Dfa/Dfb) to humid continental within the Japan mainland. Winter temperatures rarely fall below -10C in populated areas; they frequently rise above 30C in July and August. Precipitation falls all year round and the remnants of one or perhaps two typhoons usually pass through between August and October. The winters see heavy snowfall especially at higher elevations, though the Japan Sea coast (Sakata) is milder and has more rain. Snowfall for Shinjō is typical of populated mountainous areas, snowfall for Yamagata City typical of the valleys. The central mountains around Gassan may see as much as 3000 cm of snow in a season with depths up to 8 metres at higher elevations.
| Climate data for Yamagata City | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 18.1 (64.6) |
17.3 (63.1) |
23.7 (74.7) |
33.3 (91.9) |
33.4 (92.1) |
35.6 (96.1) |
40.8 (105.4) |
38.9 (102.0) |
36.1 (97.0) |
32.3 (90.1) |
26.9 (80.4) |
20.1 (68.2) |
40.8 (105.4) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 3 (37) |
4 (39) |
8 (46) |
16 (61) |
22 (72) |
25 (77) |
28 (82) |
30 (86) |
25 (77) |
19 (66) |
12 (54) |
6 (43) |
16 (61) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −4 (25) |
−4 (25) |
−1 (30) |
4 (39) |
10 (50) |
15 (59) |
19 (66) |
20 (68) |
16 (61) |
9 (48) |
3 (37) |
−1 (30) |
7 (45) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −20 (−4.0) |
−19 (−2.2) |
−15.5 (4.1) |
−7.3 (18.9) |
−1.8 (28.8) |
3.0 (37.4) |
6.7 (44.1) |
8.4 (47.1) |
3.0 (37.4) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
−15 (5.0) |
−20 (−4.0) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 75 (2.95) |
70 (2.76) |
67 (2.64) |
68 (2.68) |
81 (3.19) |
103 (4.06) |
144 (5.67) |
149 (5.87) |
134 (5.28) |
76 (2.99) |
81 (3.19) |
77 (3.03) |
1,125 (44.29) |
| Snowfall cm (inches) | 163 (64.2) |
147 (57.9) |
71 (28) |
3 (1.2) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
12 (4.7) |
92 (36.2) |
491 (193.3) |
| Source: Japan Meteorology Office http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/index.html | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Shinjō City | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 13.3 (55.9) |
14.0 (57.2) |
19.5 (67.1) |
30.2 (86.4) |
33.5 (92.3) |
32.6 (90.7) |
36.9 (98.4) |
37.4 (99.3) |
33.9 (93.0) |
27.9 (82.2) |
22.5 (72.5) |
19.0 (66.2) |
37.4 (99.3) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 1 (34) |
2 (36) |
6 (43) |
14 (57) |
20 (68) |
24 (75) |
27 (81) |
29 (84) |
24 (75) |
18 (64) |
11 (52) |
4 (39) |
15 (59) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −4 (25) |
−4 (25) |
−2 (28) |
3 (37) |
9 (48) |
14 (57) |
19 (66) |
20 (68) |
15 (59) |
8 (46) |
3 (37) |
−1 (30) |
7 (45) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −19.6 (−3.3) |
−20.2 (−4.4) |
−16.5 (2.3) |
−9.3 (15.3) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
3.7 (38.7) |
7.6 (45.7) |
10.9 (51.6) |
4.1 (39.4) |
−0.8 (30.6) |
−5.8 (21.6) |
−15.2 (4.6) |
−20.2 (−4.4) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 181 (7.13) |
145 (5.71) |
112 (4.41) |
98 (3.86) |
107 (4.21) |
131 (5.16) |
186 (7.32) |
175 (6.89) |
153 (6.02) |
152 (5.98) |
195 (7.68) |
211 (8.31) |
1,843 (72.56) |
| Snowfall cm (inches) | 283 (111.4) |
242 (95.3) |
134 (52.8) |
20 (7.9) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
28 (11) |
168 (66.1) |
878 (345.7) |
| Source: Japan Meteorology Office http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/index.html | |||||||||||||
| Climate data for Sakata City | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 15.5 (59.9) |
21.6 (70.9) |
22.6 (72.7) |
28.6 (83.5) |
31.3 (88.3) |
31.8 (89.2) |
36.9 (98.4) |
40.1 (104.2) |
35.1 (95.2) |
30.9 (87.6) |
24.2 (75.6) |
19.0 (66.2) |
40.1 (104.2) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 4 (39) |
4 (39) |
8 (46) |
14 (57) |
19 (66) |
23 (73) |
27 (81) |
29 (84) |
25 (77) |
19 (66) |
13 (55) |
8 (46) |
16 (61) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −1 (30) |
−2 (28) |
1 (34) |
5 (41) |
11 (52) |
16 (61) |
20 (68) |
21 (70) |
17 (63) |
10 (50) |
5 (41) |
1 (34) |
9 (48) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −16.9 (1.6) |
−12.8 (9.0) |
−9.9 (14.2) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
−0.2 (31.6) |
7.5 (45.5) |
9.5 (49.1) |
13.2 (55.8) |
7.0 (44.6) |
1.4 (34.5) |
−5.1 (22.8) |
−12.5 (9.5) |
−16.9 (1.6) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 153 (6.02) |
115 (4.53) |
104 (4.09) |
106 (4.17) |
117 (4.61) |
128 (5.04) |
186 (7.32) |
176 (6.93) |
185 (7.28) |
174 (6.85) |
224 (8.82) |
202 (7.95) |
1,861 (73.27) |
| Snowfall cm (inches) | 138 (54.3) |
120 (47.2) |
43 (16.9) |
1 (0.4) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
10 (3.9) |
64 (25.2) |
375 (147.6) |
| Source: Japan Meteorology Office http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/index.html | |||||||||||||
Read more about this topic: Yamagata Prefecture
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—Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900)