Lijiang climate
Lijiang (Yunnan, China) has a subtropical highland (dry winter) climate (Köppen Cwb). The average temperature over the year is 13 °C55 °F, and about 953 mm38 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Lijiang climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1253 | −228 | 540 | 100.4 |
| Feb | 1458 | −130 | 744 | 130.5 |
| Mar | 1864 | 235 | 1049 | 230.9 |
| Apr | 2170 | 642 | 1356 | 391.5 |
| May | 2475 | 1049 | 1762 | 712.8 |
| Jun | 2578 | 1355 | 1967 | 1375.4 |
| Jul | 2577 | 1457 | 1967 | 2299.0 |
| Aug | 2476 | 1457 | 1966 | 2158.5 |
| Sep | 2373 | 1254 | 1763 | 1385.4 |
| Oct | 1967 | 846 | 1457 | 652.6 |
| Nov | 1660 | 236 | 948 | 90.4 |
| Dec | 1355 | −130 | 642 | 40.2 |
| Year | 2578 | −228 | 1355 | 95338 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 65% | 28% | 4.3 | 10:37 |
| Feb | 65% | 36% | 5.0 | 11:13 |
| Mar | 63% | 47% | 5.5 | 11:56 |
| Apr | 63% | 61% | 5.6 | 12:46 |
| May | 64% | 69% | 5.5 | 13:27 |
| Jun | 72% | 85% | 5.1 | 13:49 |
| Jul | 77% | 92% | 4.4 | 13:40 |
| Aug | 78% | 87% | 4.5 | 13:05 |
| Sep | 79% | 82% | 4.0 | 12:16 |
| Oct | 77% | 59% | 4.1 | 11:28 |
| Nov | 71% | 31% | 4.3 | 10:47 |
| Dec | 68% | 26% | 4.0 | 10:27 |
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 Lijiang is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 25 °C77 °F and a low of 14 °C57 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 12 °C53 °F and lows −2 °C28 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 14.7 °C26.5 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 953 mm38 in. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 61% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–February. The wettest month is July (229 mm9.0 in), the driest is December (4 mm0.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 63% in March to 79% in September. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 26%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 2 km/h (1 mph) in August to 4 km/h (3 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 10.5 hours in December to 13.8 hours in June.
Best time to visit Lijiang
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April and May and October. Average highs then reach 19 °C67 °F to 24 °C75 °F. Precipitation is 39 mm1.5 in to 71 mm2.8 in per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 12 °C53 °F.
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an ideal. That means 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 Lijiang
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1253 to 14 °C58 °F, lows −228 to −1 °C30 °F, about 9 mm0.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1864 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 235 to 10 °C49 °F, about 44 mm1.7 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 2476 to 25 °C78 °F, lows 1355 to 14 °C57 °F, about 194 mm7.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1660 to 23 °C73 °F, lows 236 to 12 °C54 °F, about 71 mm2.8 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 Lijiang compares
The nearest larger place is Dali, about 143 km to the south. Compared with it, Lijiang is on average 2.5 °C4.4 °F cooler. It receives 5% more precipitation (953 mm38 in vs 905 mm36 in). The difference is largest in March (3.8 °C6.9 °F cooler).
World Climates covers 547 places in China. By annual mean temperature, Lijiang is the 374th warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 263rd wettest. See all of them on the China climate page.
Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall (with seasons shifted for the other hemisphere). The closest matches are Thimphu (Bhutan, Cwb), Darjiling (India, Cwb) and Armidale (Australia, Cfb).
Nearby places
- Climate in Shangri-La 118 km · 8 °C46 °F · 768 mm30 in
- Climate in Dali 143 km · 15 °C60 °F · 905 mm36 in
- Climate in Panzhihua 152 km · 22 °C71 °F · 969 mm38 in
- Climate in Xiangcheng 160 km · 16 °C60 °F · 841 mm33 in
- Climate in Lushui 179 km · 22 °C72 °F · 1,007 mm40 in
- Climate in Baoshan 222 km · 17 °C63 °F · 1,053 mm41 in
- Climate in Xichang 232 km · 17 °C63 °F · 999 mm39 in
- Climate in Chuxiong 243 km · 17 °C63 °F · 823 mm32 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Lijiang?
July is the warmest month in Lijiang. Its average high is 25 °C (77 °F) and its average low is 14 °C (57 °F).
What is the coldest month in Lijiang?
January is the coldest month. Its average high is 12 °C (53 °F) and its average low is -2 °C (28 °F).
When does it rain the most in Lijiang?
July is the wettest month with about 229 mm (9.0 in) of precipitation. December is the driest with about 4 mm (0.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Lijiang?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April and May 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. The gaps are largest 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 2,793 m, while Lijiang lies at about 2,397 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +2.6 °C4.6 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.