Kanazawa in January: weather, what to wear and what's on

Kanazawa weather in January

Averages for 1991–2020 at the JMA's Kanazawa station (6 m above sea level).

High

7.1°C (45°F)

Low

1.2°C (34°F)

Precipitation

256.0 mm

Wet days

23.4 days

Sunshine

62 hours

Snow on ground

15.1 days

Highs are 3.1°C below December and 0.7°C below February.

That is 11.9°C below Kanazawa's yearly average high of 19.0°C.

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Kanazawa is the 6th coldest in January: 1.6°C cooler than Nara and 1.2°C warmer than Nikko.

January is Kanazawa's 2nd wettest month (256.0 mm).

Of our 15 places, Kanazawa has the 2nd highest precipitation in January: 25.8 mm less than Shirakawa-go and 128.3 mm more than Hakone.

Rain or snow of 1 mm or more falls on 23.4 days, and 10 mm or more on 10.0 days.

Rain or snow of 30 mm or more in one day falls on 1.3 days.

The temperature drops below 0°C on 8.7 nights.

67 cm of snow falls in an average January; snow lies on the ground on 15.1 days.

The sun is out for 40% or more of the possible hours on 6.1 days, and 5.9 days have under 0.1 hours of sunshine.

On 15 January 2027 the sun rises at 7:05 and sets at 17:01 in Kanazawa, giving 9 hours 56 minutes of daylight (NAOJ).

Average temperature

4.0°C (39°F)

Humidity

74%

Deepest snow (average of each year's deepest)

27 cm

Early, mid and late January

By the last ten days of January the average high in Kanazawa is 1.3°C lower than in the first ten.

By ten-day totals, 21–31 January is the wettest (91.0 mm) and 11–20 January the driest (78.3 mm).

What to wear in Kanazawa in January

Cold: highs around 7.1°C

• A winter coat over layers, and a scarf.
• Gloves and a hat for mornings and nights: the temperature drops below 0°C on 8.7 nights.
• A waterproof jacket with a hood: rain or snow falls on 23.4 days.

Shoes

• Waterproof boots with good grip: snow lies on the ground on 15.1 days (deepest 27 cm on average).

Pack

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

• Our clothing rules

January records in Kanazawa

The extremes the JMA has measured in January at its Kanazawa station.

Hottest January day

21.2°C (70°F) on 9 January 1916 (records since 1882)

Coldest January night

−9.7°C (15°F) on 27 January 1904 (records since 1882)

Wettest January day

71.6 mm on 7 January 1952 (records since 1883)

Deepest January snow

181 cm on 27 January 1963 (records since 1882)

Most snow in one January day

84 cm on 15 January 2001 (records since 1953)

Holidays and crowds in January

National holidays in January 2027:

• Fri 1 January — New Year's Day
• Mon 11 January — Coming of Age Day

• Fri 1 January to Sun 3 January: 3 days off in a row
• Sat 9 January to Mon 11 January: 3 days off in a row

In January 2025, hotels and inns across Ishikawa Prefecture were 44.2% full on average (the quietest month of the year). Foreign guests spent 154,830 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency). That compares with 54.4% in December and 48.8% in February.

• Japan in January: visitor numbers and busy travel days
• Holidays in January
• Year-end and New Year holidays

What's on in Kanazawa in January

Kanazawa before and after January

• Kanazawa in December
• Kanazawa in February
• All 12 months in Kanazawa

Other places in January

• All 15 places in January

Related items

• Kanazawa by month
• Japan in January
• Kanazawa in December
• Kanazawa in February