Kanggye climate
Kanggye (North Korea) has a monsoon-influenced hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dwa). The average temperature over the year is 8 °C47 °F, and about 796 mm31 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Kanggye climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | −523 | −155 | −1014 | 80.3 |
| Feb | −130 | −1210 | −720 | 150.6 |
| Mar | 642 | −522 | 032 | 210.8 |
| Apr | 1458 | 337 | 847 | 441.7 |
| May | 2271 | 949 | 1660 | 732.9 |
| Jun | 2679 | 1559 | 2169 | 953.8 |
| Jul | 2883 | 1967 | 2475 | 2098.2 |
| Aug | 2882 | 1966 | 2374 | 1716.7 |
| Sep | 2374 | 1355 | 1864 | 742.9 |
| Oct | 1660 | 440 | 1050 | 391.6 |
| Nov | 642 | −425 | 134 | 351.4 |
| Dec | −326 | −139 | −818 | 130.5 |
| Year | 2883 | −155 | 847 | 79631 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82% | 38% | 2.5 | 9:32 |
| Feb | 80% | 45% | 3.2 | 10:35 |
| Mar | 73% | 51% | 4.3 | 11:49 |
| Apr | 66% | 59% | 4.9 | 13:15 |
| May | 68% | 61% | 5.5 | 14:27 |
| Jun | 74% | 70% | 5.2 | 15:06 |
| Jul | 82% | 78% | 4.5 | 14:50 |
| Aug | 83% | 68% | 4.5 | 13:48 |
| Sep | 77% | 56% | 4.3 | 12:24 |
| Oct | 74% | 47% | 3.4 | 11:02 |
| Nov | 78% | 52% | 2.2 | 9:49 |
| Dec | 82% | 44% | 2.0 | 9:14 |
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 Kanggye is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 28 °C83 °F and a low of 19 °C67 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average −5 °C23 °F and lows −15 °C5 °F. The climate is extremely continental — the average temperature swings by 33.8 °C60.8 °F between the coldest and the warmest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 796 mm31 in. The wettest three-month stretch is June–August, which brings 60% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: December–February. The wettest month is July (209 mm8.2 in), the driest is January (8 mm0.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 66% in April to 83% in August. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 38%) are typical of January. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in September to 10 km/h (6 mph) in April. Daylight lasts from about 9.2 hours in December to 15.1 hours in June.
Best time to visit Kanggye
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May and June and September: average highs of 22 °C71 °F to 26 °C79 °F with 73 mm2.9 in to 95 mm3.8 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of −5 °C23 °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 Kanggye
- Winter (December–February) — highs −523 to −1 °C30 °F, lows −155 to −12 °C10 °F, about 12 mm0.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack a winter coat, hat, gloves and warm, non-slip boots and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 642 to 22 °C71 °F, lows −522 to 9 °C49 °F, about 46 mm1.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2679 to 28 °C83 °F, lows 1559 to 19 °C67 °F, about 158 mm6.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 642 to 23 °C74 °F, lows −425 to 13 °C55 °F, about 49 mm1.9 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 Kanggye compares
Compared with Tonghua, about 100 km to the northwest, Kanggye is on average 2 °C3.7 °F warmer and receives 6% less precipitation (796 mm31 in vs 850 mm33 in). The difference is largest in January (3.2 °C5.7 °F warmer).
Of the 18 places in North Korea covered by World Climates, Kanggye is the 17th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 16th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the North Korea climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Fengcheng (China, Dwa), Benxi (China, Dwa) and Anshan (China, Dwa).
Nearby places
- Manpo 32 km · 8 °C47 °F · 892 mm35 in
- Tonghua 100 km · 6 °C43 °F · 850 mm33 in
- Baishan 109 km · 5 °C41 °F · 780 mm31 in
- Tokchon 138 km · 9 °C49 °F · 1,050 mm41 in
- Hyesan 142 km · 5 °C41 °F · 730 mm29 in
- Hamhŭng 142 km · 11 °C51 °F · 946 mm37 in
- Sinpo 171 km · 11 °C52 °F · 930 mm37 in
- Sunchon 180 km · 10 °C50 °F · 1,065 mm42 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Kanggye?
July is the warmest month in Kanggye, with an average high of 28 °C (83 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (67 °F).
What is the coldest month in Kanggye?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of -5 °C (23 °F) and an average low of -15 °C (5 °F).
When does it rain the most in Kanggye?
July is the wettest month with about 209 mm (8.2 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 8 mm (0.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Kanggye?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May and June 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 1,027 m, while Kanggye lies at about 288 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +4.8 °C8.7 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.