Dunhuang climate
Dunhuang (Gansu, China) has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk). The average temperature over the year is 13 °C56 °F, and about 49 mm1.9 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Dunhuang climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 033 | −817 | −425 | 10.1 |
| Feb | 642 | −424 | 133 | 10.0 |
| Mar | 1457 | 134 | 745 | 10.1 |
| Apr | 2272 | 846 | 1559 | 30.1 |
| May | 2882 | 1457 | 2170 | 80.3 |
| Jun | 3392 | 2068 | 2680 | 110.4 |
| Jul | 3696 | 2272 | 2984 | 110.4 |
| Aug | 3494 | 2170 | 2882 | 60.2 |
| Sep | 2883 | 1559 | 2271 | 40.1 |
| Oct | 1967 | 745 | 1356 | 10.0 |
| Nov | 1050 | 031 | 540 | 10.1 |
| Dec | 235 | −620 | −228 | 10.1 |
| Year | 3696 | −817 | 1356 | 491.9 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 41% | 70% | 2.5 | 9:36 |
| Feb | 34% | 67% | 3.6 | 10:37 |
| Mar | 25% | 60% | 5.0 | 11:50 |
| Apr | 21% | 67% | 6.2 | 13:13 |
| May | 21% | 67% | 7.1 | 14:23 |
| Jun | 24% | 66% | 7.2 | 15:01 |
| Jul | 25% | 63% | 6.9 | 14:45 |
| Aug | 24% | 59% | 6.4 | 13:45 |
| Sep | 24% | 60% | 5.4 | 12:24 |
| Oct | 23% | 53% | 4.3 | 11:03 |
| Nov | 31% | 57% | 2.9 | 9:53 |
| Dec | 40% | 71% | 2.3 | 9:19 |
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 Dunhuang is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 36 °C96 °F and a low of 22 °C72 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 0 °C33 °F and lows −8 °C17 °F. The climate is extremely continental — the average temperature swings by 33 °C59.4 °F between the coldest and the warmest month.
It is very dry, with only 49 mm1.9 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is May–July, which brings 60% of the annual total. The wettest month is June (11 mm0.4 in), the driest is February (1 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 21% in April to 41% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 53%) are typical of October. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (4 mph) in January to 11 km/h (7 mph) in May. Daylight lasts from about 9.3 hours in December to 15.0 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in January, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in January, about 12 cm).
Best time to visit Dunhuang
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 °C67 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 1 mm0.0 in to 8 mm0.3 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 0 °C33 °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 Dunhuang
- Winter (December–February) — highs 033 to 6 °C42 °F, lows −817 to −4 °C24 °F, about 1 mm0.0 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 14 °C57 °F, about 4 mm0.2 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.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 3392 to 36 °C96 °F, lows 2068 to 22 °C72 °F, about 9 mm0.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1050 to 28 °C83 °F, lows 031 to 15 °C59 °F, about 2 mm0.1 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.
How Dunhuang compares
Compared with Jiayuguan, about 309 km to the east, Dunhuang is on average 4.2 °C7.5 °F warmer and receives 56% less precipitation (49 mm1.9 in vs 111 mm4.4 in). The difference is largest in August (4.8 °C8.7 °F warmer).
Of the 547 places in China covered by World Climates, Dunhuang is the 360th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 547th 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: Nukus (Uzbekistan, BWk), Daşoguz (Turkmenistan, BWk) and Zhanaozen (Kazakhstan, BWk).
Nearby places
- Jiayuguan 309 km · 9 °C49 °F · 111 mm4.4 in
- Hami 312 km · 13 °C56 °F · 62 mm2.4 in
- Jiuquan 330 km · 11 °C52 °F · 145 mm5.7 in
- Zhangye 513 km · 11 °C51 °F · 173 mm6.8 in
- Turpan 552 km · 18 °C64 °F · 73 mm2.9 in
- Jinchang 672 km · 10 °C49 °F · 185 mm7.3 in
- Qiaotou 706 km · 6 °C43 °F · 521 mm21 in
- Ürümqi 711 km · 10 °C50 °F · 285 mm11 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Dunhuang?
July is the warmest month in Dunhuang, with an average high of 36 °C (96 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (72 °F).
What is the coldest month in Dunhuang?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 0 °C (33 °F) and an average low of -8 °C (17 °F).
When does it rain the most in Dunhuang?
June is the wettest month with about 11 mm (0.4 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 1 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Dunhuang?
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 1,408 m, while Dunhuang lies at about 1,131 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.8 °C3.2 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.