Ashgabat climate
Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) has a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh). The average temperature over the year is 19 °C66 °F, and about 195 mm7.7 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Ashgabat climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1253 | 134 | 644 | 160.6 |
| Feb | 1457 | 235 | 846 | 291.2 |
| Mar | 2067 | 744 | 1356 | 381.5 |
| Apr | 2577 | 1253 | 1865 | 321.3 |
| May | 3289 | 1865 | 2577 | 180.7 |
| Jun | 3798 | 2374 | 3086 | 50.2 |
| Jul | 39101 | 2678 | 3290 | 50.2 |
| Aug | 3798 | 2475 | 3087 | 20.1 |
| Sep | 3289 | 1966 | 2578 | 30.1 |
| Oct | 2578 | 1355 | 1966 | 100.4 |
| Nov | 1864 | 643 | 1253 | 220.9 |
| Dec | 1355 | 236 | 745 | 160.6 |
| Year | 39101 | 134 | 1966 | 1957.7 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 59% | 64% | 2.3 | 9:48 |
| Feb | 59% | 65% | 3.0 | 10:44 |
| Mar | 56% | 67% | 4.1 | 11:51 |
| Apr | 52% | 66% | 5.3 | 13:08 |
| May | 40% | 57% | 6.6 | 14:12 |
| Jun | 27% | 41% | 7.9 | 14:47 |
| Jul | 23% | 35% | 7.8 | 14:33 |
| Aug | 21% | 32% | 7.3 | 13:37 |
| Sep | 25% | 33% | 6.0 | 12:22 |
| Oct | 39% | 42% | 4.2 | 11:08 |
| Nov | 53% | 54% | 2.8 | 10:04 |
| Dec | 60% | 61% | 2.1 | 9:33 |
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 Ashgabat is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 39 °C101 °F and a low of 26 °C78 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 12 °C53 °F and lows 1 °C34 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 25.8 °C46.4 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is dry, with about 195 mm7.7 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is February–April, which brings 51% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: December and January and May–October. The wettest month is March (38 mm1.5 in), the driest is August (2 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 21% in August to 60% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 32%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (5 mph) in November to 10 km/h (6 mph) in July. Daylight lasts from about 9.5 hours in December to 14.8 hours in June.
Best time to visit Ashgabat
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are March and April and October. Average highs then reach 20 °C67 °F to 25 °C78 °F. Precipitation is 10 mm0.4 in to 38 mm1.5 in per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is hot, with average highs of 39 °C101 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an ideal. That means 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 Ashgabat
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1253 to 14 °C57 °F, lows 134 to 2 °C36 °F, about 21 mm0.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 2067 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 744 to 18 °C65 °F, about 29 mm1.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 3798 to 39 °C101 °F, lows 2374 to 26 °C78 °F, about 4 mm0.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1864 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 643 to 19 °C66 °F, about 11 mm0.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Ashgabat compares
The nearest larger place is Mashhad, about 213 km to the southeast. Compared with it, Ashgabat is on average 3.8 °C6.9 °F warmer. It receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in August (5.1 °C9.2 °F warmer).
World Climates covers 4 places in Turkmenistan. By annual mean temperature, Ashgabat is the warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the wettest. See all of them on the Turkmenistan climate page.
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall. The closest matches are Konibodom (Tajikistan, BWh), Qom (Iran, BWh) and Baghlan (Afghanistan, BSh).
Nearby places
- Climate in Quchan 95 km · 13 °C55 °F · 190 mm7.5 in
- Climate in Bojnurd 107 km · 14 °C58 °F · 200 mm7.9 in
- Climate in Neyshabur 197 km · 15 °C59 °F · 170 mm6.7 in
- Climate in Sabzevar 203 km · 17 °C63 °F · 162 mm6.4 in
- Climate in Mashhad 213 km · 15 °C59 °F · 186 mm7.3 in
- Climate in Maragheh 261 km · 12 °C54 °F · 184 mm7.2 in
- Climate in Gonbad-e Kavus 294 km · 20 °C68 °F · 245 mm9.6 in
- Climate in Kashmar 302 km · 17 °C62 °F · 159 mm6.3 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Ashgabat?
July is the warmest month in Ashgabat. Its average high is 39 °C (101 °F) and its average low is 26 °C (78 °F).
What is the coldest month in Ashgabat?
January is the coldest month. Its average high is 12 °C (53 °F) and its average low is 1 °C (34 °F).
When does it rain the most in Ashgabat?
March is the wettest month with about 38 mm (1.5 in) of precipitation. August is the driest with about 2 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Ashgabat?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are March and April 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. The gaps are largest 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 769 m, while Ashgabat lies at about 219 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +3.6 °C6.4 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.