Korla climate
Korla (Xinjiang, China) has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk). The average temperature over the year is 13 °C55 °F, and about 112 mm4.4 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Korla climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | −228 | −1113 | −620 | 10.1 |
| Feb | 439 | −622 | −130 | 10.1 |
| Mar | 1457 | 134 | 745 | 20.1 |
| Apr | 2373 | 847 | 1560 | 60.2 |
| May | 2883 | 1457 | 2170 | 140.5 |
| Jun | 3392 | 1967 | 2679 | 251.0 |
| Jul | 3696 | 2170 | 2883 | 251.0 |
| Aug | 3494 | 2068 | 2781 | 200.8 |
| Sep | 2883 | 1458 | 2170 | 100.4 |
| Oct | 1966 | 744 | 1355 | 30.1 |
| Nov | 847 | −130 | 438 | 20.1 |
| Dec | 031 | −917 | −424 | 20.1 |
| Year | 3696 | −1113 | 1355 | 1124.4 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61% | 58% | 2.2 | 9:28 |
| Feb | 49% | 54% | 3.3 | 10:32 |
| Mar | 34% | 45% | 4.7 | 11:49 |
| Apr | 30% | 51% | 5.8 | 13:17 |
| May | 29% | 53% | 6.7 | 14:31 |
| Jun | 31% | 56% | 6.9 | 15:12 |
| Jul | 32% | 52% | 6.7 | 14:55 |
| Aug | 32% | 49% | 6.1 | 13:51 |
| Sep | 33% | 40% | 5.2 | 12:25 |
| Oct | 35% | 38% | 4.0 | 10:00 |
| Nov | 45% | 47% | 2.7 | 9:45 |
| Dec | 59% | 55% | 1.9 | 9:09 |
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 Korla is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 36 °C96 °F and a low of 21 °C70 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average −2 °C28 °F and lows −11 °C13 °F. The climate is extremely continental — the average temperature swings by 34.9 °C62.7 °F between the coldest and the warmest month.
It is very dry, with only 112 mm4.4 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is June–August, which brings 63% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: August–May. The wettest month is July (25 mm1.0 in), the driest is January (1 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 29% in May to 61% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 38%) are typical of October. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in December to 10 km/h (6 mph) in May. Daylight lasts from about 9.2 hours in December to 15.2 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 14 cm).
Best time to visit Korla
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 °C66 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 3 mm0.1 in to 14 mm0.5 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of −2 °C28 °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 Korla
- Winter (December–February) — highs −228 to 4 °C39 °F, lows −1113 to −6 °C22 °F, about 2 mm0.1 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 °C83 °F, lows 134 to 14 °C57 °F, about 7 mm0.3 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 1967 to 21 °C70 °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 847 to 28 °C83 °F, lows −130 to 14 °C58 °F, about 5 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.
How Korla compares
Compared with Ürümqi, about 256 km to the northeast, Korla is on average 2.7 °C4.9 °F warmer and receives 61% less precipitation (112 mm4.4 in vs 285 mm11 in). The difference is largest in April (3.6 °C6.4 °F warmer).
Of the 547 places in China covered by World Climates, Korla is the 382nd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 539th 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: Zhanaozen (Kazakhstan, BWk), Nukus (Uzbekistan, BWk) and Astrakhan (Russia, BSk).
Nearby places
- Ürümqi 256 km · 10 °C50 °F · 285 mm11 in
- Changji 267 km · 12 °C53 °F · 285 mm11 in
- Xincheng 267 km · 12 °C54 °F · 91 mm3.6 in
- Turpan 282 km · 18 °C64 °F · 73 mm2.9 in
- Shihezi 283 km · 11 °C52 °F · 212 mm8.4 in
- Xinyuan 301 km · 12 °C54 °F · 294 mm12 in
- Alaer 431 km · 13 °C56 °F · 61 mm2.4 in
- Karamay 437 km · 11 °C51 °F · 155 mm6.1 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Korla?
July is the warmest month in Korla, with an average high of 36 °C (96 °F) and an average low of 21 °C (70 °F).
What is the coldest month in Korla?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of -2 °C (28 °F) and an average low of -11 °C (13 °F).
When does it rain the most in Korla?
July is the wettest month with about 25 mm (1.0 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 1 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Korla?
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 1,239 m, while Korla lies at about 945 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.9 °C3.4 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.