![\"Does](\"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/snow-crystals-large.jpg\")
I see a lot of people asking if it snows in Tokyo and if so; when does it snow in Tokyo? There’s a lot of different information out there and to be honest, a lot of it is wrong. I’ve even read some forums claiming Tokyo never gets snow. Well, I’ve experienced snow in Tokyo on two different trips there.\u00a0Once in 2008 and once in 2014. So I can personally attest to Tokyo getting snow. And instead of just guessing or relying\u00a0on my own personal experiences, I’ve actually done the research for you so here you’ll get some useful facts.<\/p>\n
Does it snow in Tokyo? Yes, Tokyo usually has 9-10 snow days each year on average. When does it snow in Tokyo? The snow usually falls<\/strong>\u00a0from December to March but the two months with the most snow days are January and February.<\/strong><\/p>\n Let’s dive into it. Yes, Tokyo gets snow. On average over the last 10 years (2008-2017) there’s yearly been recorded 9.5 days of snow. And when I study the data collected by\u00a0Japan Meteorological Agency<\/a>\u00a0the average yearly snow days since 1946 (the earliest recorded year) is in fact 9,7. Consistently\u00a0for the last 70+ years, Tokyo has been getting 9-10 snow days on average each year.<\/p>\n Good question! The data is a bit hard to find, but I’ve managed to dig it out (pun intended!) Since 1946 the most significant snow depth recorded annually on average is 3 inches\u00a0 (7.6 cm). This is of course just an average, so there are a lot of years with substantially deeper snow depths. The current record is 13 inches (33 cm) and was set in 1951. And in more recent years Tokyo had 10.6 inches (27 cm) in 2014 and 8.2 inches (21 cm) in January 2018.<\/p>\n How do 8 inches of snow look? This picture is from January 2018 and as you can see it sort of a big deal! For a city not used to regular snowfall, a heavy one like this can be a bit challenging. However, often the snow melts away before it really can stick. Therefore you have quite a few years with many days of snowfall but still, no depth recorded. That is because\u00a0the snow melted away as soon as it hit the ground.<\/p>\n Source: Big Ben<\/a> (cropped), Tokyo January 2018.<\/p>\n As you can see from the chart, there’s only been recorded over 10 inches of snow four times since 1946. And there’s been recorded over 6 inches of snow only 11 times since\u00a0Japan Meteorological Agency started collecting their data. So what happens in these “Snowmageddons”? Here are some examples from January 2018.<\/p>\n During the heavy snowfall of January 2018 over 250 international flights were canceled (at\u00a0Haneda and Narita combined) and the weather caused significant delays which spread throughout the country and region.<\/p>\n All of the major train and subway lines\u00a0experienced some rare delays and cancellations. This lead to further strain on the rest of the system which in turn lead to more delays.<\/p>\n The Tokyo Fire Department announced over 70 serious injuries from slipping on the ice and the snow. The victims ranged in age from 19 to 90. So if you are in Tokyo during a big snowfall be careful. I would suggest you slow down and find the nearest\u00a0izakaya. But be cautious with the sake intake. It probably won’t help you to stay on your feet!<\/p>\n Where I’m from, we are used to snow, and during the winter everybody put on snow tires. In Tokyo? Not so much!\u00a0Of course, for a city that gets so little snow, it is perfectly understandable that winter tires are not that common. But what happens when there is a big snowfall, and the snow really sticks? Roads and bridges get closed down or restricted only to vehicles with either chains or snow tires. In January 2018 about 50 cars got stuck and unable to move on the \u201cRainbow Bridge<\/a>\u201d on Tokyo\u2019s waterfront. There were also reports of many car accidents throughout the city.<\/p>\n When do you have the best chance to experience snow in Tokyo or “avoid the possible chaos and cancellations,” if you are of a more pessimistic mindset? For a city who on average get 9-10 snow days a year, generally from December to March, it’s hard to say exactly. I’ve looked at the numbers for every year since 1946 and noted the month with the deepest recorded snow. Here is what I found:<\/p>\nDoes It Snow In Tokyo?<\/h3>\n
![\"Chart](\"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/snow-days-chart-large.jpg\")
How Much Does It Snow In Tokyo?<\/h3>\n
![\"Chart](\"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/deepest-snow-recorded-large.jpg\")
![\"Lots](\"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/tokyo-snowpocalypse-2018-large.jpg\")
<\/p>\nDoes The Snow Cause Problems for Tokyo?<\/h3>\n
Air Transport Gets Delayed and Canceled<\/h5>\n
Metro, Subway and Railway Service affected<\/h5>\n
Slip and Fall Injuries<\/h5>\n
The Tokyo Traffic Suffers<\/h5>\n
When Does It Snow In Tokyo?<\/h3>\n
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<\/a>![\"Average](\"https:\/\/weather-and-climate.com\/uploads\/average-temperature-japan-tokyo.png\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Houses](\"https:\/\/thetokyotourist.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/mount-fuji-village-large.jpg\")