Panzhihua climate
Panzhihua (Sichuan, China) has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa). The average temperature over the year is 22 °C71 °F, and about 969 mm38 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Panzhihua climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2169 | 541 | 1355 | 100.4 |
| Feb | 2476 | 846 | 1661 | 50.2 |
| Mar | 2883 | 1254 | 2068 | 100.4 |
| Apr | 3289 | 1661 | 2475 | 251.0 |
| May | 3493 | 2067 | 2780 | 763.0 |
| Jun | 3493 | 2271 | 2882 | 1847.2 |
| Jul | 3391 | 2272 | 2882 | 2278.9 |
| Aug | 3290 | 2271 | 2781 | 1897.4 |
| Sep | 3087 | 2068 | 2577 | 1546.0 |
| Oct | 2781 | 1661 | 2271 | 732.9 |
| Nov | 2475 | 1050 | 1763 | 120.5 |
| Dec | 2068 | 643 | 1356 | 50.2 |
| Year | 3493 | 541 | 2271 | 96938 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62% | 27% | 4.3 | 10:38 |
| Feb | 54% | 29% | 5.1 | 11:13 |
| Mar | 47% | 40% | 5.7 | 11:56 |
| Apr | 45% | 54% | 5.9 | 12:46 |
| May | 50% | 67% | 5.7 | 13:26 |
| Jun | 63% | 84% | 5.1 | 13:48 |
| Jul | 69% | 90% | 4.6 | 13:39 |
| Aug | 70% | 84% | 4.6 | 13:04 |
| Sep | 72% | 81% | 3.9 | 12:16 |
| Oct | 72% | 63% | 3.9 | 11:29 |
| Nov | 68% | 37% | 4.1 | 10:48 |
| Dec | 68% | 31% | 3.8 | 10:29 |
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 Panzhihua is like
The warmest month is June, with an average high of 34 °C93 °F and a low of 22 °C71 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 21 °C69 °F and lows 5 °C41 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 15.1 °C27.2 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 969 mm38 in. The wettest three-month stretch is June–August, which brings 62% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–March. The wettest month is July (227 mm8.9 in), the driest is February (5 mm0.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 45% in April to 72% in September. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 27%) are typical of January. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 4 km/h (2 mph) in August to 7 km/h (4 mph) in April. Daylight lasts from about 10.5 hours in December to 13.8 hours in June.
Best time to visit Panzhihua
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are October–March: average highs of 20 °C68 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 5 mm0.2 in to 73 mm2.9 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is hot, with average highs of 33 °C91 °F and very wet (227 mm8.9 in).
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 Panzhihua
- Winter (December–February) — highs 2068 to 24 °C76 °F, lows 541 to 8 °C46 °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.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 2883 to 34 °C93 °F, lows 1254 to 20 °C67 °F, about 37 mm1.5 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 3290 to 34 °C93 °F, lows around 22 °C71 °F, about 200 mm7.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 2475 to 30 °C87 °F, lows 1050 to 20 °C68 °F, about 79 mm3.1 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 Panzhihua compares
Compared with Kunming, about 199 km to the southeast, Panzhihua is on average 5.5 °C9.8 °F warmer and receives 17% more precipitation (969 mm38 in vs 828 mm33 in). The difference is largest in May (6.6 °C11.9 °F warmer).
Of the 547 places in China covered by World Climates, Panzhihua is the 64th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 261st 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): Santiago del Estero (Argentina, BSh), San Miguel de Tucumán (Argentina, Cwa) and Catamarca (Argentina, BSh).
Nearby places
- Lijiang 152 km · 13 °C55 °F · 953 mm38 in
- Xichang 156 km · 17 °C63 °F · 999 mm39 in
- Xiangcheng 169 km · 16 °C60 °F · 841 mm33 in
- Chuxiong 173 km · 17 °C63 °F · 823 mm32 in
- Dali 187 km · 15 °C60 °F · 905 mm36 in
- Kunming 199 km · 16 °C61 °F · 828 mm33 in
- Zhaotong 215 km · 13 °C55 °F · 847 mm33 in
- Haikou 219 km · 16 °C61 °F · 828 mm33 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Panzhihua?
June is the warmest month in Panzhihua, with an average high of 34 °C (93 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (71 °F).
What is the coldest month in Panzhihua?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 21 °C (69 °F) and an average low of 5 °C (41 °F).
When does it rain the most in Panzhihua?
July is the wettest month with about 227 mm (8.9 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 5 mm (0.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Panzhihua?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are October–March.
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 1,686 m, while Panzhihua lies at about 1,101 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +3.8 °C6.9 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.