Yushu climate
Yushu (Qinghai, China) has a monsoon-influenced warm-summer humid continental climate (Köppen Dwb). The average temperature over the year is 4 °C40 °F, and about 534 mm21 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Yushu climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 032 | −148 | −720 | 40.2 |
| Feb | 338 | −1112 | −425 | 50.2 |
| Mar | 744 | −622 | 133 | 110.4 |
| Apr | 1253 | −229 | 541 | 200.8 |
| May | 1661 | 134 | 948 | 622.4 |
| Jun | 2068 | 541 | 1254 | 1074.2 |
| Jul | 2171 | 745 | 1458 | 1074.2 |
| Aug | 2170 | 744 | 1457 | 963.8 |
| Sep | 1763 | 338 | 1051 | 833.3 |
| Oct | 1151 | −130 | 541 | 321.3 |
| Nov | 542 | −719 | −130 | 40.2 |
| Dec | 235 | −139 | −622 | 20.1 |
| Year | 2171 | −148 | 440 | 53421 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 54% | 64% | 3.6 | 10:12 |
| Feb | 51% | 69% | 4.6 | 10:58 |
| Mar | 48% | 75% | 5.8 | 11:53 |
| Apr | 47% | 74% | 6.7 | 12:58 |
| May | 53% | 71% | 6.6 | 13:51 |
| Jun | 63% | 75% | 6.3 | 14:19 |
| Jul | 67% | 68% | 6.6 | 14:07 |
| Aug | 67% | 69% | 6.2 | 13:22 |
| Sep | 70% | 68% | 5.2 | 12:19 |
| Oct | 64% | 58% | 4.4 | 11:18 |
| Nov | 56% | 53% | 4.0 | 10:24 |
| Dec | 54% | 54% | 3.4 | 9:59 |
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 Yushu is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 21 °C71 °F and a low of 7 °C45 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 0 °C32 °F and lows −14 °C8 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 20.8 °C37.4 °F warmer than the coldest.
Annual precipitation is moderate at about 534 mm21 in. The wettest three-month stretch is June–August, which brings 58% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–March. The wettest month is June (107 mm4.2 in), the driest is December (2 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 47% in April to 70% in September. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 53%) are typical of November. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (3 mph) in August to 12 km/h (8 mph) in February. Daylight lasts from about 10.0 hours in December to 14.3 hours in June.
Best time to visit Yushu
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are July and August: average highs of 21 °C70 °F to 21 °C71 °F with 96 mm3.8 in to 107 mm4.2 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 0 °C32 °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 Yushu
- Winter (December–February) — highs 032 to 3 °C38 °F, lows −148 to −11 °C12 °F, about 4 mm0.1 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 744 to 16 °C61 °F, lows −622 to 1 °C34 °F, about 31 mm1.2 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2068 to 21 °C71 °F, lows 541 to 7 °C45 °F, about 103 mm4.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and an umbrella or light rain jacket.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 542 to 17 °C63 °F, lows −719 to 3 °C38 °F, about 40 mm1.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
How Yushu compares
Of the 547 places in China covered by World Climates, Yushu is the 512th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 450th 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: Calgary (Canada, Dfb), Red Deer (Canada, Dfb) and Edmonton (Canada, Dfb).
Nearby places
- Nyingchi 450 km · 10 °C49 °F · 778 mm31 in
- Tongren 538 km · 8 °C46 °F · 549 mm22 in
- Kangding 575 km · 10 °C50 °F · 1,016 mm40 in
- Xining 592 km · 8 °C46 °F · 504 mm20 in
- Qiaotou 610 km · 6 °C43 °F · 521 mm21 in
- Nianbo 627 km · 9 °C48 °F · 470 mm19 in
- Shangri-La 631 km · 8 °C46 °F · 768 mm30 in
- Tinsukia 633 km · 25 °C77 °F · 2,229 mm88 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Yushu?
July is the warmest month in Yushu, with an average high of 21 °C (71 °F) and an average low of 7 °C (45 °F).
What is the coldest month in Yushu?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 0 °C (32 °F) and an average low of -14 °C (8 °F).
When does it rain the most in Yushu?
June is the wettest month with about 107 mm (4.2 in) of precipitation; December is the driest with about 2 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Yushu?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are July and August.
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 4,414 m, while Yushu lies at about 3,688 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +4.7 °C8.5 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.