, with mild, sunny winters and hot, humid and rainy summers. Like the rest of Japan, the city is affected by the
: in winter, the northwest cold currents will prevail, while in summer, they will be replaced by hot and humid currents of tropical origin.
Shizuoka is located in the central part of Honshu island, in the Chubu region and halfway between Nagoya and Tokyo, and on the coast, in Suruga Bay, an area particularly exposed to the summer monsoon. North of the city lie the Akaishi Mountains, or Southern Alps, with a series of peaks around 3,000 meters (9,800 ft) high and some winter resorts, while to the north-east lies Mount Fuji.
Because of both the relatively low latitude (we are on the 35th parallel) and the protection of the mountains (we are on the southern side), in
, the currents of Siberian origin are felt little, so there are many sunny days, and usually, it's not very cold. However, cold and windy periods, with highs around 7/10 °C (45/50 °F) or less, can not be ruled out. Snowfall is very rare: unlike in Tokyo, where it can sometimes snow, here, in practice it never snows. Night frosts are rare and usually light.
Although it rarely rains in winter, given the exposure to the southern winds, when it rains, it can rain a lot.
, sunny and muggy periods alternate with periods of bad weather, with wind and rain.
in Shizuoka is definitely abundant, around 2,300 millimeters (90 inches) per year, so much so that it is one of the rainiest cities in Japan (together with some cities on the northern side of Honshu island, such as Kanazawa and Komatsu). Winter is definitely the driest season; in summer, from June to September, more than 1,100 millimeters (43 inches) of rain fall.
in Shizuoka is good in winter, when it is the sunniest city in Japan along with the neighboring city of Hamamatsu, while it is just mediocre or decent in the other seasons because of the disturbances that occur in spring and autumn, as well as the monsoon in summer. However, August is the sunniest month of summer.
is warm enough for swimming, with a temperature of 23 °C (73 °F) or more, from July to October.
From June to October (but especially from August to early October), Shizuoka can be affected by
, the tropical cyclones of the western Pacific, which in this area, facing south, are felt in a particular way. The most intense typhoons can bring torrential rainfall and heavy damage.
As regards to the climate, the best times to visit Shizuoka are spring and autumn, and in particular, from mid-April to mid-May and from late October to mid-November.
in Shizuoka reaches its peak around March 30th. About a week passes between the beginning and the peak of the flowering. The blooming date can vary by a few days, or even a week, earlier or later, depending on the year. Even though in some years it can get a little cold, with highs around 10/12 °C (50/54 °F), you can also take advantage of this period.
In summer, August is partly preferable to July, having more sunshine and less rainfall, but it is also true that it is hotter and there's a greater risk of typhoons.
. Here are the average temperatures.
January, the coldest month of the year, is generally a quite mild month. The average temperature is of
6.9 °C, with a minimum of
2.1 °C and a maximum of
11.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-2 °C. However, it dropped to
-4.3 °C in January 2018.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
17.5 °C. However, it reached
22 °C in January 2000.
Precipitation amounts to
70 mm, distributed over 11 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 5 minutes.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 66% of the time.
The average humidity is 57%.
The average wind speed is of
12 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
17.9 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.
February is generally a quite mild month. The average temperature is of
7.8 °C, with a minimum of
2.9 °C and a maximum of
12.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-2 °C. However, it dropped to
-4.4 °C in February 1996.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
20 °C. However, it reached
26.2 °C in February 2009.
Precipitation amounts to
100 mm, distributed over 12 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 55 minutes.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 60% of the time.
The average humidity is 57%.
The average wind speed is of
12 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
17 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.
March is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
10.8 °C, with a minimum of
6 °C and a maximum of
15.5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
0.5 °C. However, it dropped to
-2.2 °C in March 2000.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
22.5 °C. However, it reached
28 °C in March 2013.
Precipitation amounts to
210 mm, distributed over 17 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 6 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 51% of the time.
The average humidity is 62%.
The average wind speed is of
12 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
17.3 °C. Therefore, the sea is cold for swimming.
April is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
15.2 °C, with a minimum of
10.6 °C and a maximum of
19.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
4.5 °C. However, it dropped to
0.4 °C in April 1996.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
26.5 °C. However, it reached
33.3 °C in April 2005.
Precipitation amounts to
235 mm, distributed over 16 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 5 minutes.
There are on average 6 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 47% of the time.
The average humidity is 65%.
The average wind speed is of
11 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
18.5 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cool for swimming.
May is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
19.3 °C, with a minimum of
15.1 °C and a maximum of
23.5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
10.5 °C. However, it dropped to
7 °C in May 1991.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
30 °C. However, it reached
33.9 °C in May 2000.
Precipitation amounts to
220 mm, distributed over 17 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 6 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 43% of the time.
The average humidity is 71%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
10 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
20.7 °C. Therefore, the sea is cool for swimming.
June is generally a warm to hot, muggy month. The average temperature is of
22.6 °C, with a minimum of
19.2 °C and a maximum of
26.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
15 °C. However, it dropped to
12.5 °C in June 1993.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
33 °C. However, it reached
38.3 °C in June 1991.
Precipitation amounts to
285 mm, distributed over 20 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 30 minutes. So the days are long. June 21, the summer solstice, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 4.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 32% of the time.
The average humidity is 77%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
10 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
23.1 °C. Therefore, the sea can be considered barely acceptable for swimming.
July is generally a warm to hot, muggy month. The average temperature is of
26.5 °C, with a minimum of
23.1 °C and a maximum of
29.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
19.5 °C. However, it dropped to
17.2 °C in July 1993.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
35.5 °C. However, it reached
38.4 °C in July 1991.
Precipitation amounts to
280 mm, distributed over 20 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 10 minutes. So the days are long.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 37% of the time.
The average humidity is 79%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
9 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
25.7 °C. Therefore, the sea is warm enough for swimming.
August, the hottest month of the year, is generally a very hot, muggy month. The average temperature is of
27.8 °C, with a minimum of
24.2 °C and a maximum of
31.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
21 °C. However, it dropped to
18.1 °C in August 2018.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
36 °C. However, it reached
38.7 °C in August 1995.
Precipitation amounts to
245 mm, distributed over 18 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 49% of the time.
The average humidity is 76%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
10 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
27.4 °C. Therefore, the sea is pleasantly warm and allows long swims.
September is generally a warm to hot, muggy month. The average temperature is of
24.8 °C, with a minimum of
21.1 °C and a maximum of
28.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
16 °C. However, it dropped to
11.6 °C in September 2001.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
33.5 °C. However, it reached
37.1 °C in September 1995.
Precipitation amounts to
305 mm, distributed over 19 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 41% of the time.
The average humidity is 75%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
10 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
26.3 °C. Therefore, the sea is pleasantly warm and allows long swims.
October is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
19.6 °C, with a minimum of
15.6 °C and a maximum of
23.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
10 °C. However, it dropped to
6.1 °C in October 1997.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
30 °C. However, it reached
33.9 °C in October 1999.
Precipitation amounts to
170 mm, distributed over 17 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 20 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 46% of the time.
The average humidity is 71%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
10 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
24 °C. Therefore, the sea is warm enough for swimming.
November is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
14.4 °C, with a minimum of
9.9 °C and a maximum of
18.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
4 °C. However, it dropped to
2.2 °C in November 1993.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
24.5 °C. However, it reached
28 °C in November 2000.
Precipitation amounts to
135 mm, distributed over 12 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 20 minutes.
There are on average 5.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 55% of the time.
The average humidity is 67%.
The average wind speed is of
10 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
22 °C. Therefore, the sea is cool for swimming.
December is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
9.4 °C, with a minimum of
4.6 °C and a maximum of
14.1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-1 °C. However, it dropped to
-3.5 °C in December 1995.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
20 °C. However, it reached
24.1 °C in December 1992.
Precipitation amounts to
60 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 50 minutes. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 65% of the time.
The average humidity is 60%.
The average wind speed is of
11 kph.
The average sea temperature is of
19.7 °C. Therefore, the sea is very cool for swimming.