Zhanaozen climate
Zhanaozen (Kazakhstan) has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk). The average temperature over the year is 12 °C54 °F, and about 130 mm5.1 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Zhanaozen climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin | Frost days |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 032 | −818 | −425 | 100.4 | 30 |
| Feb | 337 | −719 | −228 | 80.3 | 28 |
| Mar | 1151 | −229 | 440 | 190.8 | 20 |
| Apr | 1965 | 541 | 1253 | 210.8 | 4 |
| May | 2882 | 1356 | 2069 | 150.6 | 0 |
| Jun | 3493 | 1966 | 2679 | 90.4 | 0 |
| Jul | 3697 | 2272 | 2984 | 90.4 | 0 |
| Aug | 3494 | 2069 | 2781 | 20.1 | 0 |
| Sep | 2780 | 1356 | 2068 | 50.2 | 0 |
| Oct | 1763 | 541 | 1152 | 70.3 | 3 |
| Nov | 745 | −228 | 337 | 140.5 | 18 |
| Dec | 134 | −621 | −327 | 110.4 | 29 |
| Year | 3697 | −818 | 1254 | 1305.1 | 131 |
“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 | 82% | 65% | 1.4 | 9:18 |
| Feb | 74% | 61% | 2.5 | 10:27 |
| Mar | 65% | 63% | 3.7 | 11:48 |
| Apr | 54% | 62% | 5.0 | 13:21 |
| May | 44% | 53% | 6.4 | 14:40 |
| Jun | 33% | 42% | 7.1 | 15:23 |
| Jul | 31% | 42% | 6.7 | 15:05 |
| Aug | 29% | 38% | 6.1 | 13:57 |
| Sep | 37% | 42% | 4.9 | 12:26 |
| Oct | 53% | 49% | 3.2 | 10:56 |
| Nov | 71% | 56% | 1.9 | 9:37 |
| Dec | 80% | 63% | 1.3 | 8:59 |
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 Zhanaozen is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 36 °C97 °F and a low of 22 °C72 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 0 °C32 °F and lows −8 °C18 °F. The climate is extremely continental — the average temperature swings by 33 °C59.3 °F between the coldest and the warmest month.
It is very dry, with only 130 mm5.1 in of precipitation in an average year. The wettest three-month stretch is March–May, which brings 42% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: May–March. The wettest month is April (21 mm0.8 in), the driest is August (2 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 29% in August to 82% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 38%) are typical of August. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 13 km/h (8 mph) in August to 15 km/h (9 mph) in March. Daylight lasts from about 9.0 hours in December to 15.4 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 17 cm).
Best time to visit Zhanaozen
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April and May and September: average highs of 19 °C65 °F to 28 °C82 °F with 5 mm0.2 in to 21 mm0.8 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 Zhanaozen
- Winter (December–February) — highs 032 to 3 °C37 °F, lows −818 to −6 °C21 °F, about 9 mm0.4 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 1151 to 28 °C82 °F, lows −229 to 13 °C56 °F, about 18 mm0.7 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 3493 to 36 °C97 °F, lows 1966 to 22 °C72 °F, about 7 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 745 to 27 °C80 °F, lows −228 to 13 °C56 °F, about 9 mm0.3 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 Zhanaozen compares
Compared with Aktau, about 141 km to the west, Zhanaozen is on average 1.3 °C2.4 °F cooler and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in December (5.6 °C10.1 °F cooler).
Of the 23 places in Kazakhstan covered by World Climates, Zhanaozen is the 5th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 23rd wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Kazakhstan climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Astrakhan (Russia, BSk), Nukus (Uzbekistan, BWk) and Daşoguz (Turkmenistan, BWk).
Nearby places
- Aktau 141 km · 13 °C56 °F · 131 mm5.2 in
- Derbent 400 km · 15 °C60 °F · 404 mm16 in
- Sumgayit 404 km · 16 °C61 °F · 208 mm8.2 in
- Baku 411 km · 15 °C60 °F · 159 mm6.3 in
- Atyrau 425 km · 11 °C51 °F · 195 mm7.7 in
- Makhachkala 437 km · 14 °C58 °F · 378 mm15 in
- Astrakhan 506 km · 11 °C52 °F · 216 mm8.5 in
- Khasavyurt 508 km · 14 °C58 °F · 422 mm17 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Zhanaozen?
July is the warmest month in Zhanaozen, with an average high of 36 °C (97 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (72 °F).
What is the coldest month in Zhanaozen?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 0 °C (32 °F) and an average low of -8 °C (18 °F).
When does it rain the most in Zhanaozen?
April is the wettest month with about 21 mm (0.8 in) of precipitation; August is the driest with about 2 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Zhanaozen?
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.