Lào Cai climate
Lào Cai (Vietnam) has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa). The average temperature over the year is 25 °C78 °F, and about 1,601 mm63 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Lào Cai climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2374 | 1254 | 1864 | 411.6 |
| Feb | 2780 | 1558 | 2169 | 220.9 |
| Mar | 3086 | 1864 | 2475 | 532.1 |
| Apr | 3392 | 2271 | 2882 | 1104.3 |
| May | 3595 | 2576 | 3085 | 1736.8 |
| Jun | 3595 | 2679 | 3187 | 2148.4 |
| Jul | 3494 | 2679 | 3087 | 28711 |
| Aug | 3494 | 2679 | 3086 | 33013 |
| Sep | 3392 | 2476 | 2984 | 1907.5 |
| Oct | 3087 | 2170 | 2678 | 963.8 |
| Nov | 2781 | 1763 | 2272 | 502.0 |
| Dec | 2374 | 1355 | 1865 | 331.3 |
| Year | 3595 | 1254 | 2578 | 1,60163 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 82% | 65% | 2.8 | 10:54 |
| Feb | 76% | 58% | 3.7 | 11:23 |
| Mar | 74% | 61% | 4.2 | 11:58 |
| Apr | 74% | 67% | 4.9 | 12:39 |
| May | 75% | 77% | 5.0 | 13:12 |
| Jun | 80% | 91% | 4.3 | 13:30 |
| Jul | 81% | 90% | 4.3 | 13:23 |
| Aug | 82% | 86% | 4.5 | 12:54 |
| Sep | 81% | 76% | 4.3 | 12:15 |
| Oct | 83% | 72% | 3.5 | 11:35 |
| Nov | 81% | 56% | 3.5 | 11:02 |
| Dec | 82% | 64% | 2.8 | 10:46 |
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 Lào Cai is like
The warmest month is June, with an average high of 35 °C95 °F and a low of 26 °C79 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 23 °C74 °F and lows 12 °C54 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 12.8 °C23 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,601 mm63 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is June–August, which brings 52% of the annual total. The wettest month is August (330 mm13 in), the driest is February (22 mm0.9 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 74% in April to 83% in October. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 56%) are typical of November. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 2 km/h (1 mph) in August to 3 km/h (2 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 10.8 hours in December to 13.5 hours in June.
Best time to visit Lào Cai
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are November–February: average highs of 23 °C74 °F to 27 °C81 °F with 22 mm0.9 in to 50 mm2.0 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is August, which is hot, with average highs of 34 °C94 °F, very wet (330 mm13 in) and humid (82% 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 Lào Cai
- Wetter months (May–September) — highs 3392 to 35 °C95 °F, lows 2476 to 26 °C79 °F, about 239 mm9.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
- Drier months (October–April) — highs 2374 to 33 °C92 °F, lows 1254 to 22 °C71 °F, about 58 mm2.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Lào Cai compares
Compared with Wenshan City, about 102 km to the north, Lào Cai is on average 7.2 °C13 °F warmer and receives 48% more precipitation (1,601 mm63 in vs 1,081 mm43 in). The difference is largest in September (7.7 °C13.8 °F warmer).
Of the 75 places in Vietnam covered by World Climates, Lào Cai is the 46th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 32nd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Vietnam climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Xiuying (China, Aw), Dimapur (India, Cwa) and Beihai (China, Cwa).
Nearby places
- Bắc Quang 92 km · 24 °C76 °F · 1,408 mm55 in
- Wenshan City 102 km · 18 °C65 °F · 1,081 mm43 in
- Mengzi 115 km · 19 °C66 °F · 980 mm39 in
- Thị Trấn Thuận Châu 120 km · 23 °C73 °F · 1,391 mm55 in
- Yên Bái 129 km · 24 °C76 °F · 1,539 mm61 in
- Tuyên Quang 148 km · 24 °C76 °F · 1,527 mm60 in
- Thái Nguyên 217 km · 24 °C74 °F · 1,572 mm62 in
- Thanh Xuân 251 km · 24 °C75 °F · 1,606 mm63 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Lào Cai?
June is the warmest month in Lào Cai, with an average high of 35 °C (95 °F) and an average low of 26 °C (79 °F).
What is the coldest month in Lào Cai?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 23 °C (74 °F) and an average low of 12 °C (54 °F).
When does it rain the most in Lào Cai?
August is the wettest month with about 330 mm (13.0 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 22 mm (0.9 in).
What is the best time to visit Lào Cai?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are November–February.
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 936 m, while Lào Cai lies at about 86 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +5.5 °C9.9 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.