Yanan climate
Yanan (Shaanxi, China) has a monsoon-influenced hot-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dwa). The average temperature over the year is 11 °C53 °F, and about 577 mm23 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Yanan climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 236 | −915 | −425 | 50.2 |
| Feb | 643 | −621 | 032 | 90.3 |
| Mar | 1356 | −130 | 643 | 120.5 |
| Apr | 2169 | 541 | 1355 | 291.1 |
| May | 2679 | 1152 | 1965 | 451.8 |
| Jun | 3187 | 1661 | 2374 | 722.9 |
| Jul | 3189 | 1966 | 2577 | 1345.3 |
| Aug | 2985 | 1763 | 2374 | 1164.6 |
| Sep | 2475 | 1253 | 1864 | 923.6 |
| Oct | 1865 | 541 | 1253 | 421.6 |
| Nov | 1050 | −228 | 439 | 170.7 |
| Dec | 337 | −817 | −327 | 30.1 |
| Year | 3189 | −915 | 1153 | 57723 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62% | 49% | 2.8 | 9:55 |
| Feb | 60% | 53% | 3.5 | 10:48 |
| Mar | 51% | 52% | 4.6 | 11:52 |
| Apr | 48% | 55% | 5.5 | 13:05 |
| May | 48% | 60% | 6.0 | 14:06 |
| Jun | 52% | 61% | 5.9 | 14:39 |
| Jul | 62% | 62% | 5.4 | 14:25 |
| Aug | 66% | 61% | 4.8 | 13:33 |
| Sep | 68% | 64% | 3.9 | 12:21 |
| Oct | 65% | 52% | 3.5 | 11:11 |
| Nov | 63% | 42% | 2.9 | 10:10 |
| Dec | 61% | 41% | 2.6 | 9:40 |
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 Yanan is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 31 °C89 °F and a low of 19 °C66 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 2 °C36 °F and lows −9 °C15 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 28.7 °C51.6 °F warmer than the coldest.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 577 mm23 in. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 59% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–March. The wettest month is July (134 mm5.3 in), the driest is December (3 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 48% in May to 68% in September. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 41%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 7 km/h (4 mph) in August to 11 km/h (7 mph) in April. Daylight lasts from about 9.7 hours in December to 14.6 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 13 cm).
Best time to visit Yanan
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April and May and September and October: average highs of 18 °C65 °F to 26 °C79 °F with 29 mm1.1 in to 92 mm3.6 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 2 °C36 °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 Yanan
- Winter (December–February) — highs 236 to 6 °C43 °F, lows −915 to −6 °C21 °F, about 6 mm0.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack a winter coat, hat, gloves and warm, non-slip boots, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1356 to 26 °C79 °F, lows −130 to 11 °C52 °F, about 29 mm1.1 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 2985 to 31 °C89 °F, lows 1661 to 19 °C66 °F, about 108 mm4.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1050 to 24 °C75 °F, lows −228 to 12 °C53 °F, about 50 mm2.0 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 Yanan compares
Compared with Lüliang, about 179 km to the northeast, Yanan is on average 0.9 °C1.7 °F warmer and receives 13% more precipitation (577 mm23 in vs 511 mm20 in). The difference is largest in December (1.8 °C3.3 °F warmer).
Of the 547 places in China covered by World Climates, Yanan is the 405th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 421st 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: Nampo (North Korea, Dwa), Changam-chon (North Korea, Dwa) and Hamhŭng (North Korea, Dwa).
Nearby places
- Wayaobu 62 km · 10 °C51 °F · 541 mm21 in
- Hancheng 152 km · 15 °C59 °F · 572 mm23 in
- Tongchuanshi 173 km · 12 °C54 °F · 656 mm26 in
- Lüliang 179 km · 11 °C51 °F · 511 mm20 in
- Linfen 190 km · 14 °C58 °F · 549 mm22 in
- Qingyang 193 km · 9 °C49 °F · 594 mm23 in
- Tongchuan 195 km · 14 °C56 °F · 655 mm26 in
- Yongji 211 km · 15 °C59 °F · 607 mm24 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Yanan?
July is the warmest month in Yanan, with an average high of 31 °C (89 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (66 °F).
What is the coldest month in Yanan?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 2 °C (36 °F) and an average low of -9 °C (15 °F).
When does it rain the most in Yanan?
July is the wettest month with about 134 mm (5.3 in) of precipitation; December is the driest with about 3 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Yanan?
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 1,204 m, while Yanan lies at about 960 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +1.6 °C2.9 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.