Karamay climate
Karamay (Xinjiang, China) has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk). The average temperature over the year is 11 °C51 °F, and about 155 mm6.1 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Karamay climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | −621 | −146 | −1013 | 60.2 | 31 |
| Feb | −129 | −1112 | −621 | 60.2 | 28 |
| Mar | 1050 | −228 | 439 | 60.2 | 22 |
| Apr | 2170 | 643 | 1456 | 140.5 | 4 |
| May | 2883 | 1356 | 2170 | 150.6 | 0 |
| Jun | 3493 | 2069 | 2781 | 230.9 | 0 |
| Jul | 3697 | 2272 | 2984 | 301.2 | 0 |
| Aug | 3493 | 2069 | 2781 | 180.7 | 0 |
| Sep | 2780 | 1356 | 2068 | 120.5 | 0 |
| Oct | 1762 | 440 | 1051 | 100.4 | 5 |
| Nov | 541 | −425 | 133 | 80.3 | 25 |
| Dec | −425 | −1112 | −719 | 80.3 | 31 |
| Year | 3697 | −146 | 1151 | 1556.1 | 145 |
“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% | 74% | 1.7 | 9:04 |
| Feb | 68% | 74% | 2.5 | 10:19 |
| Mar | 49% | 61% | 3.9 | 11:47 |
| Apr | 38% | 55% | 5.4 | 13:28 |
| May | 29% | 53% | 6.6 | 14:53 |
| Jun | 29% | 57% | 6.7 | 15:40 |
| Jul | 30% | 54% | 6.6 | 15:21 |
| Aug | 29% | 48% | 5.9 | 14:06 |
| Sep | 32% | 45% | 4.7 | 12:28 |
| Oct | 42% | 49% | 3.2 | 10:50 |
| Nov | 55% | 60% | 1.8 | 9:25 |
| Dec | 68% | 72% | 1.3 | 8:43 |
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 Karamay is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 36 °C97 °F and a low of 22 °C72 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average −6 °C21 °F and lows −14 °C6 °F. The climate is extremely continental — the average temperature swings by 39.5 °C71.1 °F between the coldest and the warmest month.
It is dry, with about 155 mm6.1 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is June–August, which brings 45% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: August–May. The wettest month is July (30 mm1.2 in), the driest is February (6 mm0.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 29% in August to 76% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 45%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 11 km/h (7 mph) in August to 13 km/h (8 mph) in April. Daylight lasts from about 8.7 hours in December to 15.7 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 January, about 17 cm).
Best time to visit Karamay
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April and May and September: average highs of 21 °C70 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 12 mm0.5 in to 15 mm0.6 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of −6 °C21 °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 Karamay
- Winter (December–February) — highs −621 to −1 °C29 °F, lows −146 to −11 °C12 °F, about 6 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack a winter coat, hat, gloves and warm, non-slip boots.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1050 to 28 °C83 °F, lows −228 to 13 °C56 °F, about 12 mm0.5 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 3493 to 36 °C97 °F, lows 2069 to 22 °C72 °F, about 23 mm0.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 541 to 27 °C80 °F, lows −425 to 13 °C56 °F, about 10 mm0.4 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 Karamay compares
Compared with Shihezi, about 169 km to the southeast, Karamay has practically the same average temperature and receives 27% less precipitation (155 mm6.1 in vs 212 mm8.4 in). The difference is largest in June (0.9 °C1.5 °F warmer).
Of the 547 places in China covered by World Climates, Karamay is the 420th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 533rd 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: Atyrau (Kazakhstan, BSk), Kyzylorda (Kazakhstan, BWk) and Astrakhan (Russia, BSk).
Nearby places
- Shihezi 169 km · 11 °C52 °F · 212 mm8.4 in
- Tacheng 197 km · 9 °C49 °F · 270 mm11 in
- Bole 234 km · 11 °C51 °F · 298 mm12 in
- Changji 259 km · 12 °C53 °F · 285 mm11 in
- Xinyuan 273 km · 12 °C54 °F · 294 mm12 in
- Ürümqi 292 km · 10 °C50 °F · 285 mm11 in
- Ghulja 337 km · 13 °C55 °F · 273 mm11 in
- Jinshanlu 353 km · 5 °C42 °F · 303 mm12 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Karamay?
July is the warmest month in Karamay, with an average high of 36 °C (97 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (72 °F).
What is the coldest month in Karamay?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of -6 °C (21 °F) and an average low of -14 °C (6 °F).
When does it rain the most in Karamay?
July is the wettest month with about 30 mm (1.2 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 6 mm (0.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Karamay?
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 419 m, while Karamay lies at about 366 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +0.3 °C0.6 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.