Niigata in March: weather, what to wear and what's on

Averages for 1991–2020 at the JMA's Niigata station (4 m above sea level).

High

10.3°C (51°F)

Low

2.4°C (36°F)

Precipitation

112.0 mm

Wet days

15.5 days

Sunshine

137 hours

Snow on ground

3.0 days

• Highs rise 3.9°C from February and climb another 5.8°C into April.
• That is 7.5°C below Niigata's yearly average high of 17.8°C.
• Of our 34 places with temperature records, Niigata is the 11th coldest in March: 0.2°C cooler than Nikko and level with Nagano.
• March is Niigata's 3rd driest month (112.0 mm).
• Of our 35 places, Niigata has the 18th highest precipitation in March: 4.0 mm less than Tokyo and 4.4 mm more than Kawaguchiko.
• Rain or snow of 1 mm or more falls on 15.5 days, and 10 mm or more on 4.0 days.
• The temperature drops below 0°C on 4.7 nights.
• 8 cm of snow falls in an average March; snow lies on the ground on 3.0 days.
• The sun is out for 40% or more of the possible hours on 13.4 days, and 4.3 days have under 0.1 hours of sunshine.
• By the JMA's cloud records, 0.6 days are clear and 15.7 are overcast.
• On 15 March 2027 the sun rises at 5:56 and sets at 17:50 in Niigata, giving 11 hours 54 minutes of daylight (NAOJ).

Average temperature

6.2°C (43°F)

Humidity

68%

Deepest snow (average of each year's deepest)

5 cm

Early, mid and late March

By the last ten days of March the average high in Niigata is 2.9°C higher than in the first ten.

By ten-day totals, 11–20 March is the wettest (42.0 mm) and 1–10 March the driest (33.7 mm).

Chilly: highs around 10.3°C

• A warm jacket or light coat over a sweater.
• Gloves and a hat for mornings and nights: the temperature drops below 0°C on 4.7 nights.
• Rain gear every day: a sturdy umbrella and a water-resistant jacket. Rain or snow falls on 15.5 days.

Shoes

• Shoes with good grip: snow or sleet falls on 15.8 days.

Pack

• Sturdy umbrella and rain jacket
• Gloves and a warm hat

• Our clothing rules

Plum blossom

The JMA's sample plum tree in Niigata opens around 11 March in an average year (1991–2020). In 2026: 27 February.

Dates are for one sample tree at or near the JMA observatory, not for every park in the city.

National holidays in March 2027:

• Sun 21 March — Vernal Equinox Day
• Mon 22 March — Substitute holiday

• Sat 20 March to Mon 22 March: 3 days off in a row

In March 2025, hotels and inns across Niigata Prefecture were 45.2% full on average (7th busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 96,940 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency). That compares with 46.5% in February and 41.1% in April.

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