Turpan climate
Turpan (Xinjiang, China) has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk). The average temperature over the year is 18 °C64 °F, and about 73 mm2.9 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Turpan climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 235 | −621 | −228 | 30.1 |
| Feb | 846 | −129 | 338 | 30.1 |
| Mar | 1763 | 642 | 1253 | 40.1 |
| Apr | 2780 | 1356 | 2068 | 60.3 |
| May | 3392 | 2067 | 2680 | 80.3 |
| Jun | 39102 | 2679 | 3391 | 90.4 |
| Jul | 41106 | 2883 | 3595 | 110.5 |
| Aug | 40104 | 2780 | 3392 | 90.3 |
| Sep | 3391 | 2068 | 2680 | 60.2 |
| Oct | 2373 | 1253 | 1763 | 50.2 |
| Nov | 1254 | 338 | 846 | 50.2 |
| Dec | 338 | −424 | 031 | 40.2 |
| Year | 41106 | −621 | 1864 | 732.9 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 55% | 56% | 2.1 | 9:21 |
| Feb | 42% | 53% | 3.2 | 10:28 |
| Mar | 28% | 47% | 4.7 | 11:48 |
| Apr | 23% | 54% | 6.0 | 13:20 |
| May | 21% | 55% | 7.0 | 14:38 |
| Jun | 22% | 56% | 7.2 | 15:20 |
| Jul | 23% | 54% | 6.8 | 15:03 |
| Aug | 22% | 49% | 6.3 | 13:55 |
| Sep | 23% | 42% | 5.3 | 12:26 |
| Oct | 28% | 36% | 3.9 | 10:57 |
| Nov | 39% | 42% | 2.6 | 9:39 |
| Dec | 50% | 52% | 1.9 | 9:01 |
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 Turpan is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 41 °C106 °F and a low of 28 °C83 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 2 °C35 °F and lows −6 °C21 °F. The climate is extremely continental — the average temperature swings by 37.2 °C67 °F between the coldest and the warmest month.
It is very dry, with only 73 mm2.9 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is June–August, which brings 40% of the annual total. The wettest month is July (11 mm0.5 in), the driest is February (3 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 21% in May to 55% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 36%) are typical of October. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in January to 11 km/h (7 mph) in May. Daylight lasts from about 9.0 hours in December to 15.3 hours in June.
Best time to visit Turpan
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April and October: average highs of 23 °C73 °F to 27 °C80 °F with 5 mm0.2 in to 6 mm0.3 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 2 °C35 °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 Turpan
- Winter (December–February) — highs 235 to 8 °C46 °F, lows −621 to −1 °C29 °F, about 4 mm0.1 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 1763 to 33 °C92 °F, lows 642 to 20 °C67 °F, about 6 mm0.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 39102 to 41 °C106 °F, lows 2679 to 28 °C83 °F, about 10 mm0.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1254 to 33 °C91 °F, lows 338 to 20 °C68 °F, about 5 mm0.2 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 Turpan compares
Compared with Ürümqi, about 159 km to the northwest, Turpan is on average 7.6 °C13.7 °F warmer and receives 74% less precipitation (73 mm2.9 in vs 285 mm11 in). The difference is largest in June (9.1 °C16.4 °F warmer).
Of the 547 places in China covered by World Climates, Turpan is the 164th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 543rd 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: Qoqon (Uzbekistan, BWh), Fergana (Uzbekistan, BWk) and Daşoguz (Turkmenistan, BWk).
Nearby places
- Ürümqi 159 km · 10 °C50 °F · 285 mm11 in
- Changji 192 km · 12 °C53 °F · 285 mm11 in
- Korla 282 km · 13 °C55 °F · 112 mm4.4 in
- Shihezi 294 km · 11 °C52 °F · 212 mm8.4 in
- Hami 353 km · 13 °C56 °F · 62 mm2.4 in
- Karamay 450 km · 11 °C51 °F · 155 mm6.1 in
- Xinyuan 484 km · 12 °C54 °F · 294 mm12 in
- Xincheng 531 km · 12 °C54 °F · 91 mm3.6 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Turpan?
July is the warmest month in Turpan, with an average high of 41 °C (106 °F) and an average low of 28 °C (83 °F).
What is the coldest month in Turpan?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 2 °C (35 °F) and an average low of -6 °C (21 °F).
When does it rain the most in Turpan?
July is the wettest month with about 11 mm (0.5 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 3 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Turpan?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April 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 737 m, while Turpan lies at about 41 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +4.5 °C8.1 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.