Gangneung climate
Gangneung (South Korea) has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa). The average temperature over the year is 13 °C55 °F, and about 1,426 mm56 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Gangneung climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 337 | −228 | 032 | 311.2 | 24 |
| Feb | 440 | −130 | 235 | 441.7 | 19 |
| Mar | 948 | 337 | 642 | 491.9 | 7 |
| Apr | 1558 | 846 | 1152 | 843.3 | 0 |
| May | 2068 | 1355 | 1662 | 803.2 | 0 |
| Jun | 2475 | 1864 | 2169 | 1194.7 | 0 |
| Jul | 2679 | 2171 | 2475 | 34514 | 0 |
| Aug | 2780 | 2373 | 2577 | 28411 | 0 |
| Sep | 2373 | 1865 | 2169 | 1967.7 | 0 |
| Oct | 1864 | 1355 | 1560 | 913.6 | 0 |
| Nov | 1153 | 643 | 948 | 702.8 | 3 |
| Dec | 541 | 031 | 236 | 331.3 | 17 |
| Year | 2780 | −228 | 1355 | 1,42656 | 70 |
“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 | 76% | 51% | 2.4 | 9:49 |
| Feb | 72% | 53% | 3.2 | 10:45 |
| Mar | 70% | 56% | 4.1 | 11:51 |
| Apr | 70% | 59% | 4.9 | 13:08 |
| May | 72% | 61% | 5.5 | 14:11 |
| Jun | 76% | 70% | 5.2 | 14:46 |
| Jul | 84% | 81% | 4.1 | 14:32 |
| Aug | 83% | 73% | 4.2 | 13:36 |
| Sep | 79% | 69% | 3.9 | 12:22 |
| Oct | 73% | 52% | 3.5 | 11:08 |
| Nov | 74% | 53% | 2.5 | 10:05 |
| Dec | 77% | 48% | 2.2 | 9:34 |
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 Gangneung is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 27 °C80 °F and a low of 23 °C73 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 3 °C37 °F and lows −2 °C28 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 24.6 °C44.3 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,426 mm56 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 58% of the annual total. The wettest month is July (345 mm14 in), the driest is January (31 mm1.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 70% in March to 84% in July. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 48%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in June to 17 km/h (11 mph) in December. Daylight lasts from about 9.6 hours in December to 14.8 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 February, about 14 cm).
Best time to visit Gangneung
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May: average highs of 20 °C68 °F to 20 °C68 °F with 80 mm3.2 in to 80 mm3.2 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is very wet (345 mm14 in) and humid (84% relative humidity).
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 Gangneung
- Winter (December–February) — highs 337 to 5 °C41 °F, lows −228 to 0 °C31 °F, about 36 mm1.4 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 948 to 20 °C68 °F, lows 337 to 13 °C55 °F, about 71 mm2.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2475 to 27 °C80 °F, lows 1864 to 23 °C73 °F, about 249 mm9.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1153 to 23 °C73 °F, lows 643 to 18 °C65 °F, about 119 mm4.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Gangneung compares
Compared with Wŏnju, about 93 km to the southwest, Gangneung is on average 1.8 °C3.2 °F warmer and receives 9% more precipitation (1,426 mm56 in vs 1,309 mm52 in). The difference is largest in January (4.8 °C8.6 °F warmer).
Of the 34 places in South Korea covered by World Climates, Gangneung is the 16th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 7th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the South Korea climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Matsumoto (Japan, Dfa), Utsunomiya (Japan, Cfa) and Nasushiobara (Japan, Dfa).
Nearby places
- Donghae City 31 km · 14 °C57 °F · 1,329 mm52 in
- Wŏnju 93 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,309 mm52 in
- Chuncheon 101 km · 11 °C51 °F · 1,290 mm51 in
- Chungju 120 km · 12 °C53 °F · 1,221 mm48 in
- Andong 133 km · 12 °C53 °F · 1,159 mm46 in
- Hanam 149 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,276 mm50 in
- Yangju 159 km · 11 °C51 °F · 1,217 mm48 in
- Sangju 162 km · 12 °C54 °F · 1,141 mm45 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Gangneung?
August is the warmest month in Gangneung, with an average high of 27 °C (80 °F) and an average low of 23 °C (73 °F).
What is the coldest month in Gangneung?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 3 °C (37 °F) and an average low of -2 °C (28 °F).
When does it rain the most in Gangneung?
July is the wettest month with about 345 mm (13.6 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 31 mm (1.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Gangneung?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May.
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 203 m, while Gangneung lies at about 77 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.8 °C1.5 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.