Karuizawa in February: weather, what to wear and what's on

Averages for 1991–2020 at the JMA's Karuizawa station (999 m above sea level).

High

3.5°C (38°F)

Low

−8.0°C (18°F)

Precipitation

36.8 mm

Wet days

5.3 days

Sunshine

192 hours

Snow on ground

20.6 days

• Highs rise 1.2°C from January and climb another 4.3°C into March.
• That is 11.1°C below Karuizawa's yearly average high of 14.6°C.
• Of our 34 places with temperature records, Karuizawa is the 6th coldest in February: 0.3°C cooler than Shirakawa-go and 0.8°C warmer than Aomori.
• February is Karuizawa's 3rd driest month (36.8 mm).
• Of our 35 places, Karuizawa has the 2nd lowest precipitation in February: 4.0 mm less than Nikko and 2.9 mm more than Sendai.
• Rain or snow of 1 mm or more falls on 5.3 days, and 10 mm or more on 1.2 days.
• The temperature drops below 0°C on 27.7 nights.
• On 5.2 days it stays below 0°C all day.
• 38 cm of snow falls in an average February; snow lies on the ground on 20.6 days.
• The sun is out for 40% or more of the possible hours on 21.8 days, and 2.4 days have under 0.1 hours of sunshine.

Average temperature

−2.6°C (27°F)

Humidity

74%

Deepest snow (average of each year's deepest)

28 cm

Early, mid and late February

By the last ten days of February the average high in Karuizawa is 2.2°C higher than in the first ten.

By ten-day totals, 11–20 February is the wettest (17.8 mm) and 1–10 February the driest (8.9 mm).

Is Karuizawa cold in February?

Yes, it is very cold. Karuizawa averages 3.5°C (38°F) by day and −8.0°C (18°F) at night in February. The coldest stretch, 21–31 January (highs of 2.0°C), is over by February.

Freezing: highs around 3.5°C

• A heavy winter coat (down or similar), thermal underwear, a hat, gloves and a scarf.
• Gloves and a hat for mornings and nights: the temperature drops below 0°C on 27.7 nights.
• A waterproof jacket with a hood: rain or snow falls on 5.3 days.

Shoes

• Waterproof boots with good grip: snow lies on the ground on 20.6 days (deepest 28 cm on average).

Pack

• Waterproof jacket with a hood
• Gloves and a warm hat
• Thermal underwear
• Scarf
• Waterproof boots with grip

• Our clothing rules

National holidays in February 2027:

• Thu 11 February — National Foundation Day
• Tue 23 February — Emperor's Birthday

In February 2025, hotels and inns across Nagano Prefecture were 41.8% full on average (5th busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 379,700 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency). That compares with 38.3% in January and 32.9% in March.

• Japan in February: visitor numbers and busy travel days
• Holidays in February