Zhangye climate
Zhangye (Gansu, China) has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk). The average temperature over the year is 11 °C51 °F, and about 173 mm6.8 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Zhangye climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 032 | −1014 | −523 | 20.1 |
| Feb | 439 | −621 | −130 | 10.0 |
| Mar | 1151 | −130 | 541 | 30.1 |
| Apr | 1966 | 540 | 1253 | 80.3 |
| May | 2476 | 1050 | 1763 | 190.8 |
| Jun | 3085 | 1660 | 2373 | 261.0 |
| Jul | 3289 | 1865 | 2577 | 381.5 |
| Aug | 3086 | 1762 | 2374 | 351.4 |
| Sep | 2475 | 1152 | 1864 | 291.2 |
| Oct | 1762 | 440 | 1051 | 70.3 |
| Nov | 847 | −229 | 338 | 20.1 |
| Dec | 134 | −818 | −326 | 20.1 |
| Year | 3289 | −1014 | 1151 | 1736.8 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47% | 51% | 2.8 | 9:43 |
| Feb | 40% | 57% | 3.7 | 10:41 |
| Mar | 33% | 61% | 4.8 | 11:50 |
| Apr | 30% | 63% | 5.7 | 13:10 |
| May | 32% | 66% | 6.2 | 14:17 |
| Jun | 35% | 68% | 6.1 | 14:53 |
| Jul | 40% | 65% | 5.9 | 14:38 |
| Aug | 44% | 64% | 5.4 | 13:40 |
| Sep | 45% | 62% | 4.6 | 12:23 |
| Oct | 39% | 44% | 4.1 | 11:06 |
| Nov | 40% | 43% | 3.1 | 9:59 |
| Dec | 45% | 47% | 2.6 | 9:27 |
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 Zhangye is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 32 °C89 °F and a low of 18 °C65 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 0 °C32 °F and lows −10 °C14 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 29.8 °C53.7 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is dry, with about 173 mm6.8 in of precipitation per year. 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: October–May. The wettest month is July (38 mm1.5 in), the driest is February (1 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 30% in April to 47% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 43%) are typical of November. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 6 km/h (4 mph) in January to 10 km/h (6 mph) in April. Daylight lasts from about 9.4 hours in December to 14.9 hours in June.
Best time to visit Zhangye
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April–June and August and September: average highs of 19 °C66 °F to 30 °C86 °F with 8 mm0.3 in to 35 mm1.4 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 Zhangye
- Winter (December–February) — highs 032 to 4 °C39 °F, lows −1014 to −6 °C21 °F, about 2 mm0.1 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 24 °C76 °F, lows −130 to 10 °C50 °F, about 10 mm0.4 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 3085 to 32 °C89 °F, lows 1660 to 18 °C65 °F, about 33 mm1.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 847 to 24 °C75 °F, lows −229 to 11 °C52 °F, about 13 mm0.5 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 Zhangye compares
Compared with Wuwei, about 220 km to the southeast, Zhangye has practically the same average temperature and receives 40% less precipitation (173 mm6.8 in vs 289 mm11 in). The difference is largest in July (0.9 °C1.7 °F warmer).
Of the 547 places in China covered by World Climates, Zhangye is the 425th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 531st 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: Astrakhan (Russia, BSk), Colorado Springs (United States, BSk) and Taldykorgan (Kazakhstan, BSk).
Nearby places
- Jinchang 159 km · 10 °C49 °F · 185 mm7.3 in
- Jiuquan 189 km · 11 °C52 °F · 145 mm5.7 in
- Jiayuguan 210 km · 9 °C49 °F · 111 mm4.4 in
- Wuwei 220 km · 10 °C51 °F · 289 mm11 in
- Qiaotou 247 km · 6 °C43 °F · 521 mm21 in
- Xining 281 km · 8 °C46 °F · 504 mm20 in
- Nianbo 323 km · 9 °C48 °F · 470 mm19 in
- Tongren 405 km · 8 °C46 °F · 549 mm22 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Zhangye?
July is the warmest month in Zhangye, with an average high of 32 °C (89 °F) and an average low of 18 °C (65 °F).
What is the coldest month in Zhangye?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 0 °C (32 °F) and an average low of -10 °C (14 °F).
When does it rain the most in Zhangye?
July is the wettest month with about 38 mm (1.5 in) of precipitation; February is the driest with about 1 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Zhangye?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April–June and August 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.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 1,845 m, while Zhangye lies at about 1,481 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +2.4 °C4.3 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.