Changji climate
Changji (Xinjiang, China) has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). The average temperature over the year is 12 °C53 °F, and about 285 mm11 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Changji climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | −129 | −1014 | −622 | 100.4 | 31 |
| Feb | 236 | −719 | −228 | 130.5 | 28 |
| Mar | 1253 | 031 | 642 | 140.6 | 18 |
| Apr | 2069 | 745 | 1457 | 351.4 | 4 |
| May | 2680 | 1355 | 2067 | 371.5 | 0 |
| Jun | 3289 | 1966 | 2578 | 341.3 | 0 |
| Jul | 3493 | 2170 | 2882 | 361.4 | 0 |
| Aug | 3391 | 2067 | 2679 | 311.2 | 0 |
| Sep | 2780 | 1456 | 2068 | 200.8 | 0 |
| Oct | 1864 | 642 | 1253 | 200.8 | 3 |
| Nov | 846 | −229 | 338 | 210.8 | 20 |
| Dec | 032 | −818 | −425 | 150.6 | 31 |
| Year | 3493 | −1014 | 1253 | 28511 | 134 |
“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 | 64% | 86% | 1.6 | 9:14 |
| Feb | 60% | 87% | 2.3 | 10:24 |
| Mar | 48% | 65% | 4.0 | 11:47 |
| Apr | 44% | 50% | 5.8 | 13:23 |
| May | 39% | 50% | 6.9 | 14:44 |
| Jun | 38% | 53% | 7.1 | 15:28 |
| Jul | 37% | 49% | 6.9 | 15:10 |
| Aug | 35% | 45% | 6.2 | 13:59 |
| Sep | 36% | 38% | 5.1 | 12:26 |
| Oct | 44% | 40% | 3.5 | 10:54 |
| Nov | 54% | 56% | 2.0 | 9:34 |
| Dec | 60% | 83% | 1.3 | 8:54 |
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 Changji is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 34 °C93 °F and a low of 21 °C70 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average −1 °C29 °F and lows −10 °C14 °F. The climate is extremely continental — the average temperature swings by 33.2 °C59.8 °F between the coldest and the warmest month.
It is dry, with about 285 mm11 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is May–July, which brings 38% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: December–March and October. The wettest month is May (37 mm1.5 in), the driest is January (10 mm0.4 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 35% in August to 64% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 38%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (3 mph) in December to 9 km/h (6 mph) in April. Daylight lasts from about 8.9 hours in December to 15.5 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in November–February, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in January, about 17 cm).
Best time to visit Changji
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April and May and September: average highs of 20 °C69 °F to 27 °C80 °F with 20 mm0.8 in to 37 mm1.5 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of −1 °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 Changji
- Winter (December–February) — highs −129 to 2 °C36 °F, lows −1014 to −7 °C19 °F, about 12 mm0.5 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 1253 to 26 °C80 °F, lows 031 to 13 °C55 °F, about 29 mm1.1 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 °C93 °F, lows 1966 to 21 °C70 °F, about 34 mm1.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 846 to 27 °C80 °F, lows −229 to 14 °C56 °F, about 20 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.
How Changji compares
Compared with Ürümqi, about 33 km to the southeast, Changji is on average 1.8 °C3.3 °F warmer and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in January (1.8 °C3.3 °F warmer).
Of the 547 places in China covered by World Climates, Changji is the 401st warmest by annual mean temperature and the 517th 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: Astrakhan (Russia, BSk), Taldykorgan (Kazakhstan, BSk) and Elista (Russia, Dfa).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Wujiaqu (pop. 154,400). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Changji, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Ürümqi 33 km · 10 °C50 °F · 285 mm11 in
- Shihezi 106 km · 11 °C52 °F · 212 mm8.4 in
- Turpan 192 km · 18 °C64 °F · 73 mm2.9 in
- Karamay 259 km · 11 °C51 °F · 155 mm6.1 in
- Korla 267 km · 13 °C55 °F · 112 mm4.4 in
- Xinyuan 332 km · 12 °C54 °F · 294 mm12 in
- Bole 427 km · 11 °C51 °F · 298 mm12 in
- Jinshanlu 432 km · 5 °C42 °F · 303 mm12 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Changji?
July is the warmest month in Changji, with an average high of 34 °C (93 °F) and an average low of 21 °C (70 °F).
What is the coldest month in Changji?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of -1 °C (29 °F) and an average low of -10 °C (14 °F).
When does it rain the most in Changji?
May is the wettest month with about 37 mm (1.5 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 10 mm (0.4 in).
What is the best time to visit Changji?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April and May and September.
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 737 m, while Changji lies at about 581 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1 °C1.8 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.