Ürümqi climate
Ürümqi (Xinjiang, China) has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). The average temperature over the year is 10 °C50 °F, and about 285 mm11 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Ürümqi climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | −326 | −1211 | −818 | 100.4 | 31 |
| Feb | 033 | −916 | −424 | 130.5 | 28 |
| Mar | 1050 | −228 | 439 | 140.6 | 18 |
| Apr | 1865 | 541 | 1253 | 351.4 | 4 |
| May | 2576 | 1152 | 1864 | 371.5 | 0 |
| Jun | 3086 | 1762 | 2374 | 341.3 | 0 |
| Jul | 3290 | 1966 | 2678 | 361.4 | 0 |
| Aug | 3188 | 1864 | 2476 | 311.2 | 0 |
| Sep | 2577 | 1253 | 1865 | 200.8 | 0 |
| Oct | 1661 | 439 | 1050 | 200.8 | 3 |
| Nov | 643 | −326 | 134 | 210.8 | 20 |
| Dec | −229 | −1014 | −622 | 150.6 | 31 |
| Year | 3290 | −1211 | 1050 | 28511 | 134 |
“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 | 64% | 62% | 2.1 | 9:15 |
| Feb | 60% | 68% | 3.1 | 10:25 |
| Mar | 48% | 65% | 4.2 | 11:48 |
| Apr | 44% | 60% | 5.4 | 13:23 |
| May | 39% | 62% | 6.2 | 14:43 |
| Jun | 38% | 65% | 6.3 | 15:26 |
| Jul | 37% | 63% | 6.2 | 15:08 |
| Aug | 35% | 58% | 5.8 | 13:59 |
| Sep | 36% | 49% | 4.9 | 12:26 |
| Oct | 44% | 47% | 3.5 | 10:55 |
| Nov | 54% | 54% | 2.2 | 9:35 |
| Dec | 60% | 59% | 1.8 | 8:56 |
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 Ürümqi is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 32 °C90 °F and a low of 19 °C66 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average −3 °C26 °F and lows −12 °C11 °F. The climate is extremely continental — the average temperature swings by 33.2 °C59.8 °F between the coldest and the warmest month.
It is dry, with about 285 mm11 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is May–July, which brings 38% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: December–March and October. The wettest month is May (37 mm1.5 in), the driest is January (10 mm0.4 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 35% in August to 64% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 47%) are typical of October. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (3 mph) in December to 9 km/h (6 mph) in April. Daylight lasts from about 8.9 hours in December to 15.4 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 January, about 17 cm).
Best time to visit Ürümqi
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April and May and September: average highs of 18 °C65 °F to 25 °C77 °F with 20 mm0.8 in to 37 mm1.5 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of −3 °C26 °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.
Ürümqi weather by month
- January−3 °C26 °F / −12 °C11 °F
- February0 °C33 °F / −9 °C16 °F
- March10 °C50 °F / −2 °C28 °F
- April18 °C65 °F / 5 °C41 °F
- May25 °C76 °F / 11 °C52 °F
- June30 °C86 °F / 17 °C62 °F
- July32 °C90 °F / 19 °C66 °F
- August31 °C88 °F / 18 °C64 °F
- September25 °C77 °F / 12 °C53 °F
- October16 °C61 °F / 4 °C39 °F
- November6 °C43 °F / −3 °C26 °F
- December−2 °C29 °F / −10 °C14 °F
What to pack for Ürümqi
- Winter (December–February) — highs −326 to 0 °C33 °F, lows −1211 to −9 °C16 °F, about 12 mm0.5 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 1050 to 25 °C76 °F, lows −228 to 11 °C52 °F, about 29 mm1.1 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 3086 to 32 °C90 °F, lows 1762 to 19 °C66 °F, about 34 mm1.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 643 to 25 °C77 °F, lows −326 to 12 °C53 °F, about 20 mm0.8 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 Ürümqi compares
Of the 547 places in China covered by World Climates, Ürümqi is the 435th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 516th 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: Taldykorgan (Kazakhstan, BSk), Volgograd (Russia, Dfa) and Elista (Russia, Dfa).
Nearby places
- Changji 33 km · 12 °C53 °F · 285 mm11 in
- Shihezi 137 km · 11 °C52 °F · 212 mm8.4 in
- Turpan 159 km · 18 °C64 °F · 73 mm2.9 in
- Korla 256 km · 13 °C55 °F · 112 mm4.4 in
- Karamay 292 km · 11 °C51 °F · 155 mm6.1 in
- Xinyuan 353 km · 12 °C54 °F · 294 mm12 in
- Xincheng 446 km · 12 °C54 °F · 91 mm3.6 in
- Jinshanlu 452 km · 5 °C42 °F · 303 mm12 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Ürümqi?
July is the warmest month in Ürümqi, with an average high of 32 °C (90 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (66 °F).
What is the coldest month in Ürümqi?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of -3 °C (26 °F) and an average low of -12 °C (11 °F).
When does it rain the most in Ürümqi?
May is the wettest month with about 37 mm (1.5 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 10 mm (0.4 in).
What is the best time to visit Ürümqi?
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.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 737 m, while Ürümqi lies at about 862 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by −0.8 °C1.5 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.