Aqsu climate
Aqsu (Xinjiang, China) has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk). The average temperature over the year is 13 °C55 °F, and about 124 mm4.9 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Aqsu climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | −229 | −1113 | −621 | 20.1 | 31 |
| Feb | 439 | −622 | −130 | 30.1 | 28 |
| Mar | 1457 | 134 | 745 | 30.1 | 14 |
| Apr | 2272 | 948 | 1660 | 70.3 | 1 |
| May | 2882 | 1558 | 2170 | 140.6 | 0 |
| Jun | 3290 | 1966 | 2678 | 190.7 | 0 |
| Jul | 3594 | 2170 | 2882 | 210.8 | 0 |
| Aug | 3392 | 2068 | 2780 | 261.0 | 0 |
| Sep | 2780 | 1458 | 2169 | 190.7 | 0 |
| Oct | 1966 | 744 | 1355 | 50.2 | 1 |
| Nov | 847 | −129 | 438 | 30.1 | 21 |
| Dec | 032 | −916 | −424 | 20.1 | 31 |
| Year | 3594 | −1113 | 1355 | 1244.9 | 127 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 60% | 61% | 2.2 | 9:31 |
| Feb | 51% | 67% | 3.1 | 10:34 |
| Mar | 35% | 63% | 4.2 | 11:49 |
| Apr | 27% | 63% | 5.3 | 13:16 |
| May | 28% | 66% | 6.1 | 14:28 |
| Jun | 29% | 65% | 6.3 | 15:08 |
| Jul | 29% | 61% | 6.3 | 14:52 |
| Aug | 32% | 61% | 5.5 | 13:48 |
| Sep | 35% | 53% | 4.6 | 12:24 |
| Oct | 34% | 51% | 3.6 | 11:01 |
| Nov | 45% | 53% | 2.4 | 9:48 |
| Dec | 60% | 58% | 2.0 | 9:13 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Aqsu is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 35 °C94 °F and a low of 21 °C70 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average −2 °C29 °F and lows −11 °C13 °F. The climate is extremely continental — the average temperature swings by 34 °C61.1 °F between the coldest and the warmest month.
It is very dry, with only 124 mm4.9 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 53% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: September–June. The wettest month is August (26 mm1.0 in), the driest is December (2 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 27% in April to 60% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 51%) are typical of October. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (3 mph) in November to 9 km/h (5 mph) in May. Daylight lasts from about 9.2 hours in December to 15.1 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in December–February, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in January, about 14 cm).
Best time to visit Aqsu
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April and May and September and October: average highs of 19 °C66 °F to 28 °C82 °F with 5 mm0.2 in to 19 mm0.7 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of −2 °C29 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Aqsu
- Winter (December–February) — highs −229 to 4 °C39 °F, lows −1113 to −6 °C22 °F, about 2 mm0.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack a winter coat, hat, gloves and warm, non-slip boots and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1457 to 28 °C82 °F, lows 134 to 15 °C58 °F, about 8 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 3290 to 35 °C94 °F, lows 1966 to 21 °C70 °F, about 22 mm0.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 847 to 27 °C80 °F, lows −129 to 14 °C58 °F, about 9 mm0.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Aqsu compares
Compared with Almaty, about 360 km to the northwest, Aqsu is on average 0.5 °C0.9 °F warmer and receives 73% less precipitation (124 mm4.9 in vs 467 mm18 in). The difference is largest in January (4.4 °C7.9 °F cooler).
Of the 547 places in China covered by World Climates, Aqsu is the 388th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 535th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the China climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Zhanaozen (Kazakhstan, BWk), Astrakhan (Russia, BSk) and Nukus (Uzbekistan, BWk).
Nearby places
- Alaer 109 km · 13 °C56 °F · 61 mm2.4 in
- Tumxuk 179 km · 14 °C56 °F · 118 mm4.6 in
- Xincheng 229 km · 12 °C54 °F · 91 mm3.6 in
- Ghulja 315 km · 13 °C55 °F · 273 mm11 in
- Huocheng 323 km · 13 °C55 °F · 263 mm10 in
- Xinyuan 349 km · 12 °C54 °F · 294 mm12 in
- Almaty 360 km · 12 °C54 °F · 467 mm18 in
- Artux 384 km · 13 °C56 °F · 114 mm4.5 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Aqsu?
July is the warmest month in Aqsu, with an average high of 35 °C (94 °F) and an average low of 21 °C (70 °F).
What is the coldest month in Aqsu?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of -2 °C (29 °F) and an average low of -11 °C (13 °F).
When does it rain the most in Aqsu?
August is the wettest month with about 26 mm (1.0 in) of precipitation; December is the driest with about 2 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Aqsu?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April and May and September and October.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 1,296 m, while Aqsu lies at about 1,119 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.1 °C2.1 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.