Xichang climate
Xichang (Sichuan, China) has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa). The average temperature over the year is 17 °C63 °F, and about 999 mm39 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Xichang climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1661 | 134 | 947 | 60.2 |
| Feb | 2068 | 337 | 1152 | 60.2 |
| Mar | 2475 | 744 | 1560 | 150.6 |
| Apr | 2781 | 1151 | 1966 | 381.5 |
| May | 2985 | 1558 | 2272 | 893.5 |
| Jun | 2984 | 1864 | 2374 | 2188.6 |
| Jul | 2883 | 1966 | 2475 | 2088.2 |
| Aug | 2882 | 1865 | 2374 | 1726.8 |
| Sep | 2678 | 1661 | 2170 | 1586.2 |
| Oct | 2272 | 1253 | 1762 | 692.7 |
| Nov | 1966 | 642 | 1254 | 150.6 |
| Dec | 1660 | 235 | 948 | 50.2 |
| Year | 2985 | 134 | 1763 | 99939 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66% | 40% | 3.8 | 10:33 |
| Feb | 58% | 40% | 4.6 | 11:10 |
| Mar | 55% | 52% | 5.3 | 11:56 |
| Apr | 55% | 63% | 5.6 | 12:48 |
| May | 62% | 72% | 5.4 | 13:31 |
| Jun | 75% | 87% | 4.5 | 13:54 |
| Jul | 80% | 89% | 4.4 | 13:45 |
| Aug | 81% | 83% | 4.4 | 13:08 |
| Sep | 82% | 83% | 3.6 | 12:17 |
| Oct | 82% | 74% | 3.3 | 11:27 |
| Nov | 77% | 49% | 3.6 | 10:43 |
| Dec | 74% | 45% | 3.3 | 10:23 |
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 Xichang is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 28 °C83 °F and a low of 19 °C66 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 16 °C61 °F and lows 1 °C34 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 15.1 °C27.3 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 999 mm39 in. The wettest three-month stretch is June–August, which brings 60% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–March. The wettest month is June (218 mm8.6 in), the driest is December (5 mm0.2 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 55% in March to 82% in September. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 40%) are typical of January. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 5 km/h (3 mph) in August to 9 km/h (5 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 10.4 hours in December to 13.9 hours in June.
Best time to visit Xichang
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are February–April and October and November: average highs of 19 °C66 °F to 27 °C81 °F with 6 mm0.2 in to 69 mm2.7 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is June, which is very wet (218 mm8.6 in) and humid (75% relative humidity).
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 Xichang
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1660 to 20 °C68 °F, lows 134 to 3 °C37 °F, about 6 mm0.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 2475 to 29 °C85 °F, lows 744 to 15 °C58 °F, about 48 mm1.9 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 2882 to 29 °C84 °F, lows 1864 to 19 °C66 °F, about 199 mm7.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1966 to 26 °C78 °F, lows 642 to 16 °C61 °F, about 81 mm3.2 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 Xichang compares
Compared with Panzhihua, about 156 km to the south, Xichang is on average 4.5 °C8.1 °F cooler and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in May (4.9 °C8.8 °F cooler).
Of the 547 places in China covered by World Climates, Xichang is the 199th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 256th 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 (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): San Luis (Argentina, Cwa), Río Cuarto (Argentina, Cwa) and Welkom (South Africa, BSk).
Nearby places
- Panzhihua 156 km · 22 °C71 °F · 969 mm38 in
- Zhaotong 157 km · 13 °C55 °F · 847 mm33 in
- Shuifu 225 km · 20 °C67 °F · 1,044 mm41 in
- Lijiang 232 km · 13 °C55 °F · 953 mm38 in
- Leshan 236 km · 18 °C65 °F · 1,232 mm49 in
- Kangding 236 km · 10 °C50 °F · 1,016 mm40 in
- Yaan 243 km · 17 °C63 °F · 1,325 mm52 in
- Xunchang 248 km · 18 °C64 °F · 1,064 mm42 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Xichang?
July is the warmest month in Xichang, with an average high of 28 °C (83 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (66 °F).
What is the coldest month in Xichang?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 16 °C (61 °F) and an average low of 1 °C (34 °F).
When does it rain the most in Xichang?
June is the wettest month with about 218 mm (8.6 in) of precipitation; December is the driest with about 5 mm (0.2 in).
What is the best time to visit Xichang?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are February–April and October and November.
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 2,489 m, while Xichang lies at about 1,558 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +6 °C10.9 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.