Shihezi climate
Shihezi (Xinjiang, China) has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk). The average temperature over the year is 11 °C52 °F, and about 212 mm8.4 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Shihezi climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | −621 | −138 | −1015 | 70.3 | 31 |
| Feb | −130 | −1014 | −522 | 80.3 | 28 |
| Mar | 1151 | −229 | 440 | 90.4 | 19 |
| Apr | 2069 | 744 | 1457 | 230.9 | 3 |
| May | 2781 | 1356 | 2069 | 251.0 | 0 |
| Jun | 3392 | 2067 | 2679 | 301.2 | 0 |
| Jul | 3595 | 2271 | 2883 | 331.3 | 0 |
| Aug | 3492 | 2068 | 2780 | 261.0 | 0 |
| Sep | 2780 | 1356 | 2068 | 160.6 | 0 |
| Oct | 1762 | 541 | 1152 | 130.5 | 3 |
| Nov | 642 | −327 | 134 | 130.5 | 21 |
| Dec | −326 | −1113 | −719 | 100.4 | 31 |
| Year | 3595 | −138 | 1152 | 2128.4 | 136 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 76% | 87% | 1.6 | 9:12 |
| Feb | 68% | 86% | 2.5 | 10:23 |
| Mar | 49% | 66% | 3.9 | 11:47 |
| Apr | 41% | 52% | 5.6 | 13:24 |
| May | 34% | 52% | 6.7 | 14:46 |
| Jun | 33% | 56% | 6.9 | 15:30 |
| Jul | 33% | 56% | 6.7 | 15:12 |
| Aug | 33% | 51% | 6.0 | 14:01 |
| Sep | 34% | 43% | 4.9 | 12:27 |
| Oct | 43% | 43% | 3.4 | 10:54 |
| Nov | 57% | 58% | 1.9 | 9:32 |
| Dec | 70% | 82% | 1.3 | 8:52 |
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 Shihezi is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 35 °C95 °F and a low of 22 °C71 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average −6 °C21 °F and lows −13 °C8 °F. The climate is extremely continental — the average temperature swings by 38.1 °C68.5 °F between the coldest and the warmest month.
It is dry, with about 212 mm8.4 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is June–August, which brings 42% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: September–March. The wettest month is July (33 mm1.3 in), the driest is January (7 mm0.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 33% in August to 76% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 43%) are typical of October. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in December to 10 km/h (6 mph) in May. Daylight lasts from about 8.9 hours in December to 15.5 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in November–February, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in February, about 17 cm).
Best time to visit Shihezi
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April and May and September: average highs of 20 °C69 °F to 27 °C81 °F with 16 mm0.6 in to 25 mm1.0 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of −6 °C21 °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 Shihezi
- Winter (December–February) — highs −621 to −1 °C30 °F, lows −138 to −10 °C14 °F, about 8 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack a winter coat, hat, gloves and warm, non-slip boots.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1151 to 27 °C81 °F, lows −229 to 13 °C56 °F, about 19 mm0.8 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.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 3392 to 35 °C95 °F, lows 2067 to 22 °C71 °F, about 29 mm1.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 642 to 27 °C80 °F, lows −327 to 13 °C56 °F, about 14 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.
How Shihezi compares
Compared with Ürümqi, about 137 km to the southeast, Shihezi is on average 0.9 °C1.7 °F warmer and receives 26% less precipitation (212 mm8.4 in vs 285 mm11 in). The difference is largest in June (2.8 °C5.1 °F warmer).
Of the 547 places in China covered by World Climates, Shihezi is the 418th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 526th 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: Atyrau (Kazakhstan, BSk), Astrakhan (Russia, BSk) and Taldykorgan (Kazakhstan, BSk).
Nearby places
- Changji 106 km · 12 °C53 °F · 285 mm11 in
- Ürümqi 137 km · 10 °C50 °F · 285 mm11 in
- Karamay 169 km · 11 °C51 °F · 155 mm6.1 in
- Xinyuan 244 km · 12 °C54 °F · 294 mm12 in
- Korla 283 km · 13 °C55 °F · 112 mm4.4 in
- Turpan 294 km · 18 °C64 °F · 73 mm2.9 in
- Bole 321 km · 11 °C51 °F · 298 mm12 in
- Tacheng 362 km · 9 °C49 °F · 270 mm11 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Shihezi?
July is the warmest month in Shihezi, with an average high of 35 °C (95 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (71 °F).
What is the coldest month in Shihezi?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of -6 °C (21 °F) and an average low of -13 °C (8 °F).
When does it rain the most in Shihezi?
July is the wettest month with about 33 mm (1.3 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 7 mm (0.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Shihezi?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April and May 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.