Bishkek climate
Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). The average temperature over the year is 13 °C56 °F, and about 387 mm15 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Bishkek climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 541 | −424 | 033 | 240.9 | 24 |
| Feb | 846 | −326 | 236 | 301.2 | 19 |
| Mar | 1558 | 236 | 847 | 421.7 | 8 |
| Apr | 2068 | 745 | 1456 | 612.4 | 2 |
| May | 2678 | 1254 | 1966 | 481.9 | 0 |
| Jun | 3289 | 1763 | 2476 | 291.1 | 0 |
| Jul | 3494 | 2068 | 2781 | 200.8 | 0 |
| Aug | 3391 | 1966 | 2679 | 130.5 | 0 |
| Sep | 2781 | 1356 | 2068 | 150.6 | 0 |
| Oct | 1966 | 744 | 1355 | 361.4 | 2 |
| Nov | 1152 | 033 | 642 | 381.5 | 11 |
| Dec | 642 | −425 | 134 | 301.2 | 21 |
| Year | 3494 | −424 | 1356 | 38715 | 86 |
“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 | 58% | 78% | 2.1 | 9:21 |
| Feb | 58% | 81% | 3.0 | 10:28 |
| Mar | 56% | 82% | 3.9 | 11:48 |
| Apr | 56% | 78% | 4.8 | 13:20 |
| May | 49% | 74% | 5.9 | 14:37 |
| Jun | 39% | 70% | 6.5 | 15:19 |
| Jul | 30% | 67% | 6.6 | 15:02 |
| Aug | 28% | 60% | 6.2 | 13:55 |
| Sep | 31% | 60% | 4.9 | 12:26 |
| Oct | 45% | 68% | 3.1 | 10:57 |
| Nov | 57% | 74% | 2.0 | 9:40 |
| Dec | 59% | 75% | 1.7 | 9:02 |
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 Bishkek is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 34 °C94 °F and a low of 20 °C68 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 5 °C41 °F and lows −4 °C24 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 26.9 °C48.5 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is dry, with about 387 mm15 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is March–May, which brings 39% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: August and September. The wettest month is April (61 mm2.4 in), the driest is August (13 mm0.5 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 28% in August to 59% in December. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 60%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in November to 8 km/h (5 mph) in August. Daylight lasts from about 9.0 hours in December to 15.3 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in November–March, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in January, about 17 cm).
Best time to visit Bishkek
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 27 °C81 °F with 15 mm0.6 in to 61 mm2.4 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 5 °C41 °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 Bishkek
- Winter (December–February) — highs 541 to 8 °C46 °F, lows −424 to −3 °C26 °F, about 28 mm1.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1558 to 26 °C78 °F, lows 236 to 12 °C54 °F, about 50 mm2.0 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 3289 to 34 °C94 °F, lows 1763 to 20 °C68 °F, about 21 mm0.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1152 to 27 °C81 °F, lows 033 to 13 °C56 °F, about 30 mm1.2 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 Bishkek compares
Compared with Almaty, about 193 km to the east, Bishkek is on average 1.4 °C2.5 °F warmer and receives 17% less precipitation (387 mm15 in vs 467 mm18 in). The difference is largest in January (2.1 °C3.8 °F warmer).
Of the 3 places in Kyrgyzstan covered by World Climates, Bishkek is the 3rd warmest by annual mean temperature and the wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Kyrgyzstan climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Taraz (Kazakhstan, BSk), Almaty (Kazakhstan, Dfa) and Yerevan (Armenia, BSk).
Nearby places
- Almaty 193 km · 12 °C54 °F · 467 mm18 in
- Manas 252 km · 16 °C61 °F · 280 mm11 in
- Taraz 262 km · 13 °C55 °F · 355 mm14 in
- Andijon 297 km · 18 °C64 °F · 247 mm9.7 in
- Osh 300 km · 15 °C60 °F · 215 mm8.5 in
- Namangan 319 km · 18 °C65 °F · 226 mm8.9 in
- Chust 346 km · 17 °C63 °F · 238 mm9.4 in
- Fergana 362 km · 18 °C64 °F · 201 mm7.9 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Bishkek?
July is the warmest month in Bishkek, with an average high of 34 °C (94 °F) and an average low of 20 °C (68 °F).
What is the coldest month in Bishkek?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 5 °C (41 °F) and an average low of -4 °C (24 °F).
When does it rain the most in Bishkek?
April is the wettest month with about 61 mm (2.4 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 13 mm (0.5 in).
What is the best time to visit Bishkek?
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.