Sunchon climate
Sunchon (North Korea) has a monsoon-influenced hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dwa). The average temperature over the year is 10 °C50 °F, and about 1,065 mm42 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Sunchon climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | −228 | −1112 | −720 | 70.3 | 31 |
| Feb | 134 | −817 | −326 | 190.8 | 28 |
| Mar | 745 | −327 | 236 | 240.9 | 25 |
| Apr | 1558 | 337 | 948 | 552.2 | 5 |
| May | 2171 | 1050 | 1660 | 823.2 | 0 |
| Jun | 2679 | 1661 | 2170 | 1054.1 | 0 |
| Jul | 2882 | 2068 | 2475 | 30812 | 0 |
| Aug | 2781 | 2069 | 2475 | 2509.8 | 0 |
| Sep | 2475 | 1559 | 1967 | 973.8 | 0 |
| Oct | 1763 | 745 | 1254 | 502.0 | 2 |
| Nov | 846 | 032 | 439 | 522.0 | 16 |
| Dec | 031 | −817 | −424 | 170.7 | 30 |
| Year | 2882 | −1112 | 1050 | 1,06542 | 137 |
“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% | 56% | 2.3 | 9:40 |
| Feb | 73% | 48% | 3.1 | 10:39 |
| Mar | 70% | 44% | 4.3 | 11:50 |
| Apr | 69% | 51% | 5.1 | 13:12 |
| May | 69% | 54% | 5.6 | 14:19 |
| Jun | 71% | 63% | 5.3 | 14:56 |
| Jul | 82% | 74% | 4.3 | 14:41 |
| Aug | 84% | 65% | 4.5 | 13:42 |
| Sep | 78% | 53% | 4.4 | 12:23 |
| Oct | 75% | 44% | 3.5 | 11:05 |
| Nov | 75% | 51% | 2.4 | 9:57 |
| Dec | 76% | 58% | 2.0 | 9:24 |
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 Sunchon is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 27 °C81 °F and a low of 20 °C69 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average −2 °C28 °F and lows −11 °C12 °F. The climate is extremely continental — the average temperature swings by 30.5 °C54.8 °F between the coldest and the warmest month.
It is wet, with about 1,065 mm42 in of precipitation per year. 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: December–February. The wettest month is July (308 mm12 in), the driest is January (7 mm0.3 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 69% in April to 84% in August. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 44%) are typical of March. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 8 km/h (5 mph) in September to 10 km/h (6 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 9.4 hours in December to 14.9 hours in June.
A lasting snow cover is typical in December–February, when the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm (deepest in January, about 17 cm).
Best time to visit Sunchon
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May and June and September: average highs of 21 °C71 °F to 26 °C79 °F with 82 mm3.2 in to 105 mm4.1 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of −2 °C28 °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 Sunchon
- Winter (December–February) — highs −228 to 1 °C34 °F, lows −1112 to −8 °C17 °F, about 14 mm0.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack a winter coat, hat, gloves and warm, non-slip boots and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 745 to 21 °C71 °F, lows −327 to 10 °C50 °F, about 54 mm2.1 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 2679 to 28 °C82 °F, lows 1661 to 20 °C69 °F, about 221 mm8.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 846 to 24 °C75 °F, lows 032 to 15 °C59 °F, about 66 mm2.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
How Sunchon compares
Compared with Pyongyang, about 47 km to the south, Sunchon is on average 0.6 °C1.2 °F cooler and receives 6% more precipitation (1,065 mm42 in vs 1,000 mm39 in). The difference is largest in December (0.9 °C1.7 °F cooler).
Of the 18 places in North Korea covered by World Climates, Sunchon is the 13th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 4th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the North Korea climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Dandong (China, Dwa), Yangju (South Korea, Dwa) and Chuncheon (South Korea, Dwa).
The same NASA POWER grid cell also contains Kaechon (pop. 319,554) and Paekak (pop. 125,924). Their long-term averages in this dataset are essentially the same as for Sunchon, so they do not have separate pages.
Nearby places
- Tokchon 45 km · 9 °C49 °F · 1,050 mm41 in
- Pyongyang 47 km · 10 °C51 °F · 1,000 mm39 in
- Mangyongdae-ri 54 km · 11 °C51 °F · 1,000 mm39 in
- Nampo 90 km · 11 °C52 °F · 962 mm38 in
- Chaeryŏng-ni 98 km · 11 °C52 °F · 931 mm37 in
- Wŏnsan 134 km · 11 °C52 °F · 1,292 mm51 in
- Hamhŭng 148 km · 11 °C51 °F · 946 mm37 in
- Dandong 153 km · 9 °C49 °F · 1,014 mm40 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Sunchon?
August is the warmest month in Sunchon, with an average high of 27 °C (81 °F) and an average low of 20 °C (69 °F).
What is the coldest month in Sunchon?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of -2 °C (28 °F) and an average low of -11 °C (12 °F).
When does it rain the most in Sunchon?
July is the wettest month with about 308 mm (12.1 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 7 mm (0.3 in).
What is the best time to visit Sunchon?
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.