Lhasa climate
Lhasa (Tibet, China) has a monsoon-influenced warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dwb). The average temperature over the year is 9 °C48 °F, and about 461 mm18 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Lhasa climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 642 | −818 | −130 | 10.0 |
| Feb | 846 | −524 | 235 | 20.1 |
| Mar | 1152 | −130 | 541 | 40.1 |
| Apr | 1661 | 235 | 948 | 90.4 |
| May | 2169 | 542 | 1355 | 341.3 |
| Jun | 2476 | 948 | 1762 | 813.2 |
| Jul | 2374 | 1050 | 1762 | 1475.8 |
| Aug | 2272 | 948 | 1660 | 1194.7 |
| Sep | 2069 | 744 | 1457 | 522.1 |
| Oct | 1661 | 235 | 948 | 100.4 |
| Nov | 1151 | −229 | 540 | 10.1 |
| Dec | 846 | −622 | 134 | 10.0 |
| Year | 2476 | −818 | 948 | 46118 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 32% | 37% | 4.4 | 10:26 |
| Feb | 28% | 47% | 5.2 | 11:06 |
| Mar | 29% | 58% | 5.9 | 11:55 |
| Apr | 34% | 66% | 6.3 | 12:51 |
| May | 42% | 66% | 6.7 | 13:38 |
| Jun | 54% | 73% | 7.0 | 14:02 |
| Jul | 65% | 84% | 6.4 | 13:52 |
| Aug | 68% | 81% | 6.3 | 13:12 |
| Sep | 66% | 70% | 5.8 | 12:18 |
| Oct | 54% | 40% | 5.4 | 11:24 |
| Nov | 39% | 30% | 4.8 | 10:37 |
| Dec | 32% | 29% | 4.3 | 10:15 |
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 Lhasa is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 23 °C74 °F and a low of 10 °C50 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 6 °C42 °F and lows −8 °C18 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 17.7 °C31.9 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 461 mm18 in. The wettest three-month stretch is June–August, which brings 75% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: October–April. The wettest month is July (147 mm5.8 in), the driest is December (1 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 28% in February to 68% in August. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 29%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 4 km/h (3 mph) in August to 9 km/h (6 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 10.2 hours in December to 14.0 hours in June.
Best time to visit Lhasa
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May and June and September: average highs of 20 °C69 °F to 24 °C76 °F with 34 mm1.3 in to 81 mm3.2 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 6 °C42 °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 Lhasa
- Winter (December–February) — highs 642 to 8 °C46 °F, lows −818 to −5 °C24 °F, about 1 mm0.0 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1152 to 21 °C69 °F, lows −130 to 5 °C42 °F, about 16 mm0.6 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 2272 to 24 °C76 °F, lows 948 to 10 °C50 °F, about 116 mm4.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1151 to 20 °C69 °F, lows −229 to 7 °C44 °F, about 21 mm0.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
How Lhasa compares
Compared with Guwahati, about 391 km to the south, Lhasa is on average 16.4 °C29.6 °F cooler and receives 77% less precipitation (461 mm18 in vs 2,012 mm79 in). The difference is largest in March (18.7 °C33.7 °F cooler).
Of the 547 places in China covered by World Climates, Lhasa is the 457th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 486th 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 (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Potosí (Bolivia, ET), Colorado Springs (United States, BSk) and Puno (Peru, BSk).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Chengguan Qu (pop. 478,275). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Lhasa, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Doilungdêqên 10 km · 9 °C48 °F · 461 mm18 in
- Lhoka 79 km · 9 °C48 °F · 419 mm17 in
- Thimphu 282 km · 13 °C56 °F · 1,024 mm40 in
- Nyingchi 315 km · 10 °C49 °F · 778 mm31 in
- Jaigaon 354 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,620 mm64 in
- Gangtok 355 km · 18 °C64 °F · 1,092 mm43 in
- Guwahati 391 km · 25 °C77 °F · 2,012 mm79 in
- Nagaon 398 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,629 mm64 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Lhasa?
July is the warmest month in Lhasa, with an average high of 23 °C (74 °F) and an average low of 10 °C (50 °F).
What is the coldest month in Lhasa?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 6 °C (42 °F) and an average low of -8 °C (18 °F).
When does it rain the most in Lhasa?
July is the wettest month with about 147 mm (5.8 in) of precipitation; December is the driest with about 1 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Lhasa?
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 4,317 m, while Lhasa lies at about 3,651 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +4.3 °C7.8 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.