Aomori is located in central Aomori Prefecture, the northernmost prefecture of
Honshu. It is located in the northeastern part of the Tsugaru region, which refers to the western half of the prefecture, and is centered on Aomori Plain, facing Aomori Bay, a branch bay of
Mutsu Bay, to the north, and the
Hakkōda and Higashidake Mountains, which are the northern end of the
Ōu Mountains to the south to the east. Among other smaller rivers, the city has two large rivers flowing through it, the
Komagome River and its tributary, the Arakawa River. Parts of the city in the southeast are within the borders of
Towada-Hachimantai National Park and is a tourist destination throughout the four seasons. In the northeast is
Asamushi-Natsudomari Prefectural Natural Park. There are many
hot springs in the city, including
Sukayu Onsen at the foot of Mt. Hakkōda and
Asamushi Onsen on the coast.
Surrounding municipalities Aomori Prefecture •
Fujisaki •
Goshogawara •
Hirakawa •
Hiranai •
Itayanagi •
Kuroishi •
Shichinohe •
Towada •
Yomogita Climate Like most of the Tōhoku region, Aomori has a humid temperate climate with warm summers, and cold, though not extreme, winters. The city has a cold,
humid continental climate (
Köppen Dfa) closely bordering the
Humid subtropical climate (Köppen
Cfa) using the isotherm with both January and February monthly averages being too cold to be of the latter, characterized by warm, short summers and long, cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Aomori is . The average annual rainfall is with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around . Aomori and the surrounding areas are known for having the
heaviest snowfall in the world. In 2016,
AccuWeather ranked Aomori City as the snowiest city in the world. In February 1945, the city recorded a maximum snow cover of , but the record low of was recorded 14 years earlier. In contrast,
Sapporo's heaviest snowfall which occurred in 1939 was , and
Wakkanai which is located further north has recorded similar maxima. The particularly heavy snow is caused by several winds that collide around the city and make the air rise and cool, resulting in quick, thick cloud formation followed by intense
precipitation. In summer, a cool wind called "Yamase" often blows from the east, which sometimes results in abnormally cool weather and poor harvests. Additionally, thick fogs from the
Oyashio Current are often observed in mountainous areas in the summer. Due to this fog, flights to
Aomori Airport are often cancelled. ==Demographics==