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
Famous quotes containing the word climate:
“The climate of Ohio is perfect, considered as the home of an ideal republican people. Climate has much to do with national character.... A climate which permits labor out-of-doors every month in the year and which requires industry to secure comfort—to provide food, shelter, clothing, fuel, etc.—is the very climate which secures the highest civilization.”
—Rutherford Birchard Hayes (1822–1893)
“A tree is beautiful, but what’s more, it has a right to life; like water, the sun and the stars, it is essential. Life on earth is inconceivable without trees. Forests create climate, climate influences peoples’ character, and so on and so forth. There can be neither civilization nor happiness if forests crash down under the axe, if the climate is harsh and severe, if people are also harsh and severe.... What a terrible future!”
—Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904)
“If often he was wrong and at times absurd,
To us he is no more a person
Now but a whole climate of opinion.”
—W.H. (Wystan Hugh)