Wŏnsan climate
Wŏnsan (North Korea) has a monsoon-influenced hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dwa). The average temperature over the year is 11 °C52 °F, and about 1,292 mm51 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Wŏnsan climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 033 | −818 | −425 | 170.7 |
| Feb | 338 | −522 | −130 | 271.1 |
| Mar | 847 | −131 | 439 | 331.3 |
| Apr | 1559 | 541 | 1050 | 662.6 |
| May | 2271 | 1153 | 1762 | 853.3 |
| Jun | 2679 | 1762 | 2171 | 1094.3 |
| Jul | 2882 | 2170 | 2476 | 35914 |
| Aug | 2882 | 2271 | 2577 | 29011 |
| Sep | 2474 | 1762 | 2068 | 1515.9 |
| Oct | 1864 | 1049 | 1457 | 652.6 |
| Nov | 1050 | 236 | 643 | 662.6 |
| Dec | 236 | −523 | −129 | 240.9 |
| Year | 2882 | −818 | 1152 | 1,29251 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 79% | 54% | 2.4 | 9:42 |
| Feb | 76% | 54% | 3.2 | 10:40 |
| Mar | 71% | 51% | 4.2 | 11:50 |
| Apr | 70% | 54% | 5.1 | 13:11 |
| May | 70% | 58% | 5.5 | 14:18 |
| Jun | 74% | 68% | 5.1 | 14:54 |
| Jul | 84% | 76% | 4.3 | 14:40 |
| Aug | 84% | 70% | 4.2 | 13:41 |
| Sep | 80% | 62% | 4.0 | 12:23 |
| Oct | 76% | 48% | 3.4 | 11:05 |
| Nov | 77% | 52% | 2.4 | 9:58 |
| Dec | 79% | 51% | 2.1 | 9:26 |
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 Wŏnsan is like
The warmest month is August, with an average high of 28 °C82 °F and a low of 22 °C71 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 0 °C33 °F and lows −8 °C18 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 28.5 °C51.3 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is wet, with about 1,292 mm51 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 62% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: January. The wettest month is July (359 mm14 in), the driest is January (17 mm0.7 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 70% in April to 84% in August. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 48%) are typical of October. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in June to 12 km/h (7 mph) in January. Daylight lasts from about 9.4 hours in December to 14.9 hours in June.
Best time to visit Wŏnsan
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are May and June and October: average highs of 18 °C64 °F to 26 °C79 °F with 65 mm2.6 in to 109 mm4.3 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 0 °C33 °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 Wŏnsan
- Winter (December–February) — highs 033 to 3 °C38 °F, lows −818 to −5 °C23 °F, about 23 mm0.9 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 847 to 22 °C71 °F, lows −131 to 11 °C53 °F, about 61 mm2.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2679 to 28 °C82 °F, lows 1762 to 22 °C71 °F, about 252 mm9.9 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 1050 to 24 °C74 °F, lows 236 to 17 °C62 °F, about 94 mm3.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
How Wŏnsan compares
Compared with Hamhŭng, about 85 km to the north, Wŏnsan is on average 0.7 °C1.3 °F warmer and receives 37% more precipitation (1,292 mm51 in vs 946 mm37 in). The difference is largest in December (1.8 °C3.3 °F warmer).
Of the 18 places in North Korea covered by World Climates, Wŏnsan is the 2nd warmest by annual mean temperature and the 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: Suwon (South Korea, Dwa), Seoul (South Korea, Dwa) and Hanam (South Korea, Dwa).
Nearby places
- Hamhŭng 85 km · 11 °C51 °F · 946 mm37 in
- Sinpo 118 km · 11 °C52 °F · 930 mm37 in
- Tokchon 122 km · 9 °C49 °F · 1,050 mm41 in
- Sunchon 134 km · 10 °C50 °F · 1,065 mm42 in
- Chuncheon 144 km · 11 °C51 °F · 1,290 mm51 in
- Pyongyang 146 km · 10 °C51 °F · 1,000 mm39 in
- Yangju 150 km · 11 °C51 °F · 1,217 mm48 in
- Kaesŏng 152 km · 11 °C51 °F · 1,133 mm45 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Wŏnsan?
August is the warmest month in Wŏnsan, with an average high of 28 °C (82 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (71 °F).
What is the coldest month in Wŏnsan?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 0 °C (33 °F) and an average low of -8 °C (18 °F).
When does it rain the most in Wŏnsan?
July is the wettest month with about 359 mm (14.1 in) of precipitation; January is the driest with about 17 mm (0.7 in).
What is the best time to visit Wŏnsan?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are May and June 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 338 m, while Wŏnsan lies at about 7 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +2.1 °C3.9 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.