Zhanaozen climate

Kazakhstan · 43.34°N, 52.86°E · elevation 204 m · population 103,598

Warmest month
July
high 36 °C97 °F
Coldest month
January
low −8 °C18 °F
Wettest month
April
21 mm0.8 in
Best time to visit
April and May and September
by our comfort score
Annual precipitation
130 mm5.1 in
August driest
Year average
12 °C54 °F
cold desert (BWk)

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

Average highAverage low
-10°0°10°20°30°40°20°40°60°80°100°JFMAMJJASOND36°97°−8°18°January: high 0 °C / 32 °F, low -8 °C / 18 °FFebruary: high 3 °C / 37 °F, low -7 °C / 19 °FMarch: high 11 °C / 51 °F, low -2 °C / 29 °FApril: high 19 °C / 65 °F, low 5 °C / 41 °FMay: high 28 °C / 82 °F, low 13 °C / 56 °FJune: high 34 °C / 93 °F, low 19 °C / 66 °FJuly: high 36 °C / 97 °F, low 22 °C / 72 °FAugust: high 34 °C / 94 °F, low 20 °C / 69 °FSeptember: high 27 °C / 80 °F, low 13 °C / 56 °FOctober: high 17 °C / 63 °F, low 5 °C / 41 °FNovember: high 7 °C / 45 °F, low -2 °C / 28 °FDecember: high 1 °C / 34 °F, low -6 °C / 21 °F

Precipitation by month

Precipitation per month (mminches)
051015202500.20.40.60.8JJanuary: 10 mm / 0.4 inFFebruary: 8 mm / 0.3 inMMarch: 19 mm / 0.8 inAApril: 21 mm / 0.8 inMMay: 15 mm / 0.6 inJJune: 9 mm / 0.4 inJJuly: 9 mm / 0.4 inAAugust: 2 mm / 0.1 inSSeptember: 5 mm / 0.2 inOOctober: 7 mm / 0.3 inNNovember: 14 mm / 0.5 inDDecember: 11 mm / 0.4 in210.8

Zhanaozen climate table

Monthly averages, 2001–2025
MonthHigh °C°FLow °C°FMean °C°FPrecip. mminFrost days
Jan032−818−425100.430
Feb337−719−22880.328
Mar1151−229440190.820
Apr19655411253210.84
May288213562069150.60
Jun34931966267990.40
Jul36972272298490.40
Aug34942069278120.10
Sep27801356206850.20
Oct1763541115270.33
Nov745−228337140.518
Dec134−621−327110.429
Year3697−81812541305.1131

“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total. Frost days are for the whole grid cell.

Humidity, cloud, sun and daylight
MonthHumid.CloudSolarDaylight
Jan82%65%1.49:18
Feb74%61%2.510:27
Mar65%63%3.711:48
Apr54%62%5.013:21
May44%53%6.414:40
Jun33%42%7.115:23
Jul31%42%6.715:05
Aug29%38%6.113:57
Sep37%42%4.912:26
Oct53%49%3.210:56
Nov71%56%1.99:37
Dec80%63%1.38:59

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. In those months the average snow depth in the reanalysis exceeds 10 cm. It is deepest in January, at 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 then reach 19 °C65 °F to 28 °C82 °F. Precipitation is 5 mm0.2 in to 21 mm0.8 in 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 ideal. That means 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

The nearest larger place is Aktau, about 141 km to the west. Compared with it, Zhanaozen is on average 1.3 °C2.4 °F cooler. It receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in December (5.6 °C10.1 °F cooler).

World Climates covers 23 places in Kazakhstan. By annual mean temperature, Zhanaozen is the 5th warmest of them. By annual precipitation, it is the 23rd wettest. See all of them on the Kazakhstan climate page.

Some places in other countries have a very similar pattern of temperature and rainfall. The closest matches are Astrakhan (Russia, BSk), Nukus (Uzbekistan, BWk) and Daşoguz (Turkmenistan, BWk).

Nearby places

All places in Kazakhstan

Frequently asked questions

What is the warmest month in Zhanaozen?

July is the warmest month in Zhanaozen. Its average high is 36 °C (97 °F) and its average low is 22 °C (72 °F).

What is the coldest month in Zhanaozen?

January is the coldest month. Its average high is 0 °C (32 °F) and its average low is -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. The gaps are largest 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.

Sources and method