Matsumoto weather in November
November in Matsumoto: cool, rainy, with clean air — a great time to visit.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#5 of 12 months in Matsumoto · #735 of 1413 destinations to visit in November · comfort 72/100 (tier B)
- Days
- 15°C
- Nights
- 3°C
- Wet days
- 14
- Sun
- 7.7 h
- Humidity
- 77%
- Daylight
- 10 h

Traveller notes on Matsumoto in November
Forum posters consistently name November as one of Japan's best weather months overall - generally dry and settled, with the second half of the month bringing peak autumn foliage at many popular destinations. Posters specifically note that Matsumoto, sitting in a basin rather than up in the mountains, gets its first real snowfall later than higher-elevation spots nearby, so November here stays cool and crisp rather than wintry. Posters recommend a jumper plus a jacket on hand rather than heavy winter gear, reserving the subzero-rated insulated layers for extended time up in the surrounding Nagano Alps rather than in town itself.
Other months in Matsumoto
Regulars are specific this can swing wildly by the end of the month, one day mild and pleasant and the next genuinely freezing, a medium-weight coat with sweaters layered underneath the standard advice regardless of which day a trip lands on. Our row backs that cold, genuinely wet read, 13C over 0.4C nights feeling as low as -3C, with a substantial 146.6mm of rain across 13.5 days and real snow, 43.8cm, still falling at this elevation in the Nagano highlands. Regulars are consistent conditions run noticeably colder here than in Tokyo or Osaka at the same time of year, hiking in the surrounding mountains needing a genuinely clear-day forecast check rather than just general trip dates. Layers built for a real range remain essential throughout. The record: humidity 71 percent, 8.6 hours of sun and an 11.2 kph wind.
Regulars are careful to separate three different odds that get conflated: the chance of a typhoon somewhere in Japan this month is genuinely high, the chance one makes landfall is lower, and the chance it hits your specific location at your specific time is very low - with a typhoon's aftermath often bringing perfectly clear weather rather than lingering disruption. Our row backs a wet, still-warm month, 27.3C reading as a hot 30C, over 17.6C nights, with a real 215.2mm of rain across 17.6 days. Regulars specifically recommend October over this month for those wanting to avoid both the heat and the higher typhoon odds, though most days here remain clear regardless. The record: humidity 82 percent, 8.2 hours of sun, an 8.4 kph wind and one of the cleanest air readings in this project, AQI 34.
October is the month for the mountains behind this town, and the reason is a closing date rather than a peak. Kamikochi is at its best in October for the leaves, but after the first week of November it turns cold, it can snow, and most places up there shut for the season - so a trip built around the valley has to be inside October, not adjacent to it. The town itself is mild at 20.4C, though the nights drop to 9.6C, a gap of eleven degrees to dress for in a single day. Rain is the part the board does not raise and our row does: 205.1mm across 16.4 days, with sunshine down to 7.3 hours. The record: humidity 80 percent, an 8.8 kph wind and AQI 33.
June is tsuyu here and our row shows it: 206.7mm across 16.5 precipitation days, about twelve millimetres a wet day, under 9.2 hours of sun. What regulars add is the shape of it. The rainy season is a stationary front rather than a blanket, so it does not rain everywhere in Japan at once and several consecutive wet days are possible without the whole trip being lost; the storms tend to get heavier towards the end of the season. The casualty is the view - Matsumoto Castle's top floor looks out at the Northern Alps, and cloud takes that away before it takes anything else. Inland at altitude, the days stay comfortable: 27.4C falling to 16C at night, with almost no wind. The record: humidity 77 percent, 14.6 hours of daylight and AQI 51.
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Matsumoto climate normals — November
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Matsumoto in November
How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.
Shoulder seasonan ordinary month(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Matsumoto's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Fair weatherMatsumoto's weather peaks April–June, best around May.
Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather
What's on in Matsumoto in November
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Opening
Kamikochi open season
17 Apr – 15 Nov · usuallyTrail seasonBook earlyThe valley opens with a ceremony in the middle of April and closes on 15 November, when the hotels shut and the road is gated. Private cars are never allowed in; it is the bus from Sawando or Hirayu. Source ↗
- Nature
Autumn colour
1 Oct – 5 Nov · usuallyKamikochi and the Norikura road turn first, from the treeline down, usually in the first half of October. The valley floor and the castle grounds follow a month later.
Nearby, and something's on
Within 300 km of Matsumoto — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.
Where is Matsumoto?
Matsumoto in November — FAQ
- Is November a good time to visit Matsumoto?
- November in Matsumoto: cool, rainy, with clean air — a great time to visit. It ranks #5 of 12 months for Matsumoto on SeasonMap's comfort score (72/100).
- What is the weather like in Matsumoto in November?
- In November, Matsumoto averages a daily high of 15.1°C and a low of 2.8°C, with about 108.9 mm of rain over roughly 13.6 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Matsumoto in November?
- Matsumoto has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 33 in November.
- Does it snow in Matsumoto in November?
- Matsumoto sees roughly 7.5 cm of snowfall in November.
Within 300 km: Karuizawa's Autumn colour around 15 Oct – 10 Nov, and Nozawa Onsen's Autumn colour around 10 Oct – 5 Nov.