Tongren climate
Tongren (Qinghai, China) has a monsoon-influenced warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dwb). The average temperature over the year is 8 °C46 °F, and about 549 mm22 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Tongren climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 338 | −1113 | −425 | 40.2 |
| Feb | 644 | −818 | −131 | 50.2 |
| Mar | 1051 | −327 | 439 | 120.5 |
| Apr | 1661 | 134 | 947 | 281.1 |
| May | 2068 | 440 | 1254 | 692.7 |
| Jun | 2373 | 948 | 1661 | 883.5 |
| Jul | 2577 | 1152 | 1864 | 1044.1 |
| Aug | 2476 | 1051 | 1763 | 1054.1 |
| Sep | 2068 | 643 | 1356 | 883.5 |
| Oct | 1458 | 134 | 846 | 351.4 |
| Nov | 847 | −425 | 236 | 70.3 |
| Dec | 439 | −1015 | −327 | 20.1 |
| Year | 2577 | −1113 | 846 | 54922 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55% | 51% | 3.1 | 10:00 |
| Feb | 53% | 58% | 3.9 | 10:51 |
| Mar | 49% | 62% | 4.8 | 11:52 |
| Apr | 50% | 63% | 5.5 | 13:03 |
| May | 57% | 68% | 5.7 | 14:01 |
| Jun | 64% | 70% | 5.6 | 14:33 |
| Jul | 71% | 63% | 5.6 | 14:20 |
| Aug | 73% | 65% | 5.1 | 13:29 |
| Sep | 74% | 71% | 4.1 | 12:21 |
| Oct | 65% | 60% | 3.8 | 11:13 |
| Nov | 56% | 44% | 3.3 | 10:14 |
| Dec | 54% | 41% | 3.0 | 9:46 |
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 Tongren is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 25 °C77 °F and a low of 11 °C52 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 3 °C38 °F and lows −11 °C13 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 21.7 °C39.1 °F warmer than the coldest.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 549 mm22 in. The wettest three-month stretch is June–August, which brings 54% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–March. The wettest month is August (105 mm4.1 in), the driest is December (2 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 49% in March to 74% in September. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 41%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in September to 10 km/h (6 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 9.8 hours in December to 14.5 hours in June.
Best time to visit Tongren
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May–September: average highs of 20 °C68 °F to 25 °C77 °F with 69 mm2.7 in to 105 mm4.1 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 3 °C38 °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 Tongren
- Winter (December–February) — highs 338 to 6 °C44 °F, lows −1113 to −8 °C18 °F, about 4 mm0.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1051 to 20 °C68 °F, lows −327 to 4 °C40 °F, about 37 mm1.4 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 2373 to 25 °C77 °F, lows 948 to 11 °C52 °F, about 99 mm3.9 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 847 to 20 °C68 °F, lows −425 to 6 °C43 °F, about 43 mm1.7 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 Tongren compares
Compared with Linxia Chengguanzhen, about 108 km to the east, Tongren is on average 2.5 °C4.5 °F cooler and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in June (3.6 °C6.4 °F cooler).
Of the 547 places in China covered by World Climates, Tongren is the 478th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 441st 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: Chongjin (North Korea, Dwa), Piatra Neamţ (Romania, Dfb) and Gyumri (Armenia, Dfb).
Nearby places
- Linxia Chengguanzhen 108 km · 10 °C50 °F · 532 mm21 in
- Nianbo 113 km · 9 °C48 °F · 470 mm19 in
- Xining 126 km · 8 °C46 °F · 504 mm20 in
- Qiaotou 161 km · 6 °C43 °F · 521 mm21 in
- Lanzhou 175 km · 11 °C52 °F · 431 mm17 in
- Baiyin 225 km · 9 °C49 °F · 337 mm13 in
- Dingxi 236 km · 9 °C48 °F · 496 mm20 in
- Wuwei 274 km · 10 °C51 °F · 289 mm11 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Tongren?
July is the warmest month in Tongren, with an average high of 25 °C (77 °F) and an average low of 11 °C (52 °F).
What is the coldest month in Tongren?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 3 °C (38 °F) and an average low of -11 °C (13 °F).
When does it rain the most in Tongren?
August is the wettest month with about 105 mm (4.1 in) of precipitation; December is the driest with about 2 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Tongren?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May–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.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 3,466 m, while Tongren lies at about 2,506 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +6.2 °C11.2 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.