Turkistan climate
Turkistan (Kazakhstan) has a hot-summer continental (dry summer) climate (Köppen Dsa). The average temperature over the year is 13 °C56 °F, and about 305 mm12 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Turkistan climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 032 | −818 | −425 | 351.4 | 30 |
| Feb | 438 | −621 | −130 | 381.5 | 26 |
| Mar | 1355 | 133 | 744 | 441.7 | 15 |
| Apr | 2169 | 745 | 1457 | 401.6 | 3 |
| May | 2883 | 1457 | 2170 | 271.1 | 0 |
| Jun | 3594 | 2067 | 2781 | 110.4 | 0 |
| Jul | 3798 | 2272 | 2985 | 60.2 | 0 |
| Aug | 3595 | 2169 | 2882 | 30.1 | 0 |
| Sep | 2882 | 1457 | 2170 | 30.1 | 0 |
| Oct | 1966 | 643 | 1254 | 200.8 | 3 |
| Nov | 948 | −131 | 439 | 371.5 | 18 |
| Dec | 235 | −720 | −327 | 391.5 | 29 |
| Year | 3798 | −818 | 1356 | 30512 | 124 |
“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 | 81% | 64% | 1.8 | 9:18 |
| Feb | 76% | 62% | 2.7 | 10:27 |
| Mar | 65% | 57% | 3.9 | 11:48 |
| Apr | 56% | 55% | 5.4 | 13:21 |
| May | 43% | 46% | 7.0 | 14:40 |
| Jun | 31% | 36% | 7.8 | 15:23 |
| Jul | 26% | 29% | 7.6 | 15:05 |
| Aug | 24% | 24% | 6.9 | 13:57 |
| Sep | 27% | 25% | 5.4 | 12:26 |
| Oct | 44% | 38% | 3.5 | 10:56 |
| Nov | 64% | 51% | 2.0 | 9:38 |
| Dec | 76% | 59% | 1.5 | 8:59 |
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 Turkistan is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 37 °C98 °F and a low of 22 °C72 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 0 °C32 °F and lows −8 °C18 °F. The climate is extremely continental — the average temperature swings by 33.3 °C60 °F between the coldest and the warmest month.
It is dry, with about 305 mm12 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is February–April, which brings 40% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: June–September. The wettest month is March (44 mm1.7 in), the driest is September (3 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 24% in August to 81% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 24%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 11 km/h (7 mph) in November to 16 km/h (10 mph) in August. Daylight lasts from about 9.0 hours in December to 15.4 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 18 cm).
Best time to visit Turkistan
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April and May and September and October: average highs of 19 °C66 °F to 28 °C83 °F with 3 mm0.1 in to 40 mm1.6 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 0 °C32 °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 Turkistan
- Winter (December–February) — highs 032 to 4 °C38 °F, lows −818 to −6 °C21 °F, about 38 mm1.5 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 1355 to 28 °C83 °F, lows 133 to 14 °C57 °F, about 37 mm1.5 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 3594 to 37 °C98 °F, lows 2067 to 22 °C72 °F, about 7 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 948 to 28 °C82 °F, lows −131 to 14 °C57 °F, about 20 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.
How Turkistan compares
Compared with Shymkent, about 155 km to the southeast, Turkistan has practically the same average temperature and receives 40% less precipitation (305 mm12 in vs 512 mm20 in). The difference is largest in January (2 °C3.5 °F cooler).
Of the 23 places in Kazakhstan covered by World Climates, Turkistan is the 3rd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 17th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Kazakhstan climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Istaravshan (Tajikistan, BSk), Angren (Uzbekistan, Csa) and Mahabad (Iran, BSk).
Nearby places
- Shymkent 155 km · 13 °C56 °F · 512 mm20 in
- Tashkent 239 km · 16 °C61 °F · 412 mm16 in
- Taraz 257 km · 13 °C55 °F · 355 mm14 in
- Kyzylorda 280 km · 11 °C51 °F · 135 mm5.3 in
- Olmaliq 294 km · 16 °C60 °F · 345 mm14 in
- Angren 297 km · 14 °C57 °F · 343 mm13 in
- Jizzax 353 km · 17 °C63 °F · 321 mm13 in
- Khujand 354 km · 17 °C62 °F · 297 mm12 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Turkistan?
July is the warmest month in Turkistan, with an average high of 37 °C (98 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (72 °F).
What is the coldest month in Turkistan?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 0 °C (32 °F) and an average low of -8 °C (18 °F).
When does it rain the most in Turkistan?
March is the wettest month with about 44 mm (1.7 in) of precipitation; September is the driest with about 3 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Turkistan?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April and May and September 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 401 m, while Turkistan lies at about 217 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.2 °C2.2 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.