Sanandaj climate
Sanandaj (Iran) has a hot-summer Mediterranean climate (Köppen Csa). The average temperature over the year is 14 °C57 °F, and about 319 mm13 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Sanandaj climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 542 | −425 | 133 | 361.4 |
| Feb | 745 | −326 | 236 | 431.7 |
| Mar | 1355 | 133 | 744 | 491.9 |
| Apr | 1865 | 541 | 1253 | 481.9 |
| May | 2577 | 1050 | 1763 | 230.9 |
| Jun | 3391 | 1458 | 2474 | 30.1 |
| Jul | 3799 | 1864 | 2781 | 20.1 |
| Aug | 3697 | 1864 | 2780 | 10.0 |
| Sep | 3087 | 1457 | 2272 | 10.0 |
| Oct | 2373 | 948 | 1660 | 271.0 |
| Nov | 1355 | 134 | 745 | 471.9 |
| Dec | 745 | −228 | 236 | 401.6 |
| Year | 3799 | −425 | 1457 | 31913 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 75% | 72% | 2.7 | 10:01 |
| Feb | 74% | 72% | 3.6 | 10:51 |
| Mar | 67% | 67% | 4.6 | 11:52 |
| Apr | 62% | 62% | 5.6 | 13:02 |
| May | 51% | 49% | 7.0 | 14:00 |
| Jun | 34% | 30% | 8.4 | 14:32 |
| Jul | 29% | 31% | 7.8 | 14:19 |
| Aug | 29% | 31% | 7.3 | 13:29 |
| Sep | 31% | 33% | 6.2 | 12:21 |
| Oct | 45% | 50% | 4.4 | 11:13 |
| Nov | 65% | 61% | 3.0 | 10:15 |
| Dec | 73% | 66% | 2.4 | 9:47 |
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 Sanandaj is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 37 °C99 °F and a low of 18 °C64 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 5 °C42 °F and lows −4 °C25 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 26.8 °C48.2 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is dry, with about 319 mm13 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is February–April, which brings 44% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: June–September. The wettest month is March (49 mm1.9 in), the driest is August (1 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 29% in August to 75% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 30%) are typical of June. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in November to 11 km/h (7 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 9.8 hours in December to 14.5 hours in June.
Best time to visit Sanandaj
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April and May and October: average highs of 18 °C65 °F to 25 °C77 °F with 23 mm0.9 in to 48 mm1.9 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 5 °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 Sanandaj
- Winter (December–February) — highs 542 to 7 °C45 °F, lows −425 to −2 °C28 °F, about 40 mm1.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1355 to 25 °C77 °F, lows 133 to 10 °C50 °F, about 40 mm1.6 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 3391 to 37 °C99 °F, lows 1458 to 18 °C64 °F, about 2 mm0.1 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.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1355 to 30 °C87 °F, lows 134 to 14 °C57 °F, about 25 mm1.0 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 Sanandaj compares
Compared with Kermanshah, about 111 km to the south, Sanandaj is on average 1.5 °C2.8 °F cooler and receives 8% less precipitation (319 mm13 in vs 346 mm14 in). The difference is largest in October (1.8 °C3.2 °F cooler).
Of the 82 places in Iran covered by World Climates, Sanandaj is the 65th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 24th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Iran climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Mardin (Turkey, Csa), Malatya (Turkey, BSk) and Angren (Uzbekistan, Csa).
Nearby places
- Marivan 77 km · 15 °C60 °F · 328 mm13 in
- Kermanshah 111 km · 15 °C59 °F · 346 mm14 in
- Saqqez 123 km · 13 °C56 °F · 339 mm13 in
- Baneh 126 km · 13 °C56 °F · 350 mm14 in
- Sulaymaniyah 145 km · 18 °C65 °F · 341 mm13 in
- Hamadan 149 km · 12 °C54 °F · 284 mm11 in
- Bukan 152 km · 14 °C58 °F · 327 mm13 in
- Kelar 171 km · 23 °C74 °F · 330 mm13 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Sanandaj?
July is the warmest month in Sanandaj, with an average high of 37 °C (99 °F) and an average low of 18 °C (64 °F).
What is the coldest month in Sanandaj?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 5 °C (42 °F) and an average low of -4 °C (25 °F).
When does it rain the most in Sanandaj?
March is the wettest month with about 49 mm (1.9 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 1 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Sanandaj?
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 — 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 1,943 m, while Sanandaj lies at about 1,494 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +2.9 °C5.3 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.