Zhongwei climate
Zhongwei (Ningxia, China) has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk). The average temperature over the year is 11 °C53 °F, and about 225 mm8.8 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Zhongwei climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 134 | −1014 | −424 | 20.1 |
| Feb | 642 | −621 | 031 | 30.1 |
| Mar | 1355 | −130 | 642 | 50.2 |
| Apr | 2169 | 541 | 1355 | 110.4 |
| May | 2679 | 1152 | 1966 | 220.9 |
| Jun | 3188 | 1763 | 2475 | 351.4 |
| Jul | 3391 | 1967 | 2679 | 411.6 |
| Aug | 3187 | 1864 | 2476 | 481.9 |
| Sep | 2577 | 1254 | 1965 | 351.4 |
| Oct | 1865 | 541 | 1253 | 160.6 |
| Nov | 949 | −228 | 338 | 50.2 |
| Dec | 236 | −917 | −326 | 10.0 |
| Year | 3391 | −1014 | 1153 | 2258.8 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 56% | 44% | 2.8 | 9:50 |
| Feb | 49% | 48% | 3.8 | 10:45 |
| Mar | 40% | 51% | 5.0 | 11:51 |
| Apr | 36% | 56% | 6.0 | 13:07 |
| May | 36% | 59% | 6.6 | 14:10 |
| Jun | 38% | 60% | 6.7 | 14:44 |
| Jul | 46% | 58% | 6.3 | 14:30 |
| Aug | 51% | 58% | 5.7 | 13:36 |
| Sep | 55% | 63% | 4.6 | 12:22 |
| Oct | 53% | 51% | 4.0 | 11:09 |
| Nov | 52% | 42% | 3.1 | 10:06 |
| Dec | 54% | 35% | 2.7 | 9:35 |
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 Zhongwei is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 33 °C91 °F and a low of 19 °C67 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 1 °C34 °F and lows −10 °C14 °F. The climate is extremely continental — the average temperature swings by 30.5 °C54.8 °F between the coldest and the warmest month.
It is dry, with about 225 mm8.8 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is July–September, which brings 56% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: October–April. The wettest month is August (48 mm1.9 in), the driest is December (1 mm0.0 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 36% in April to 56% in January. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 35%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 9 km/h (6 mph) in January to 13 km/h (8 mph) in May. Daylight lasts from about 9.6 hours in December to 14.7 hours in June.
Best time to visit Zhongwei
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 11 mm0.4 in to 35 mm1.4 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 1 °C34 °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 Zhongwei
- Winter (December–February) — highs 134 to 6 °C42 °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, an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1355 to 26 °C79 °F, lows −130 to 11 °C52 °F, about 13 mm0.5 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 3187 to 33 °C91 °F, lows 1763 to 19 °C67 °F, about 42 mm1.6 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 949 to 25 °C77 °F, lows −228 to 12 °C54 °F, about 19 mm0.7 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 Zhongwei compares
Compared with Wuzhong, about 103 km to the northeast, Zhongwei is on average 0.3 °C0.6 °F warmer and receives a similar amount of precipitation. The difference is largest in December (1.2 °C2.1 °F warmer).
Of the 547 places in China covered by World Climates, Zhongwei is the 404th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 524th 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), Pueblo (United States, BSk) and Colorado Springs (United States, BSk).
Nearby places
- Wuzhong 103 km · 11 °C52 °F · 229 mm9.0 in
- Baiyin 140 km · 9 °C49 °F · 337 mm13 in
- Yinchuan 143 km · 11 °C52 °F · 215 mm8.5 in
- Guyuan 193 km · 8 °C47 °F · 484 mm19 in
- Shizuishan 194 km · 11 °C51 °F · 190 mm7.5 in
- Dawukou 200 km · 11 °C51 °F · 190 mm7.5 in
- Lanzhou 202 km · 11 °C52 °F · 431 mm17 in
- Dingxi 222 km · 9 °C48 °F · 496 mm20 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Zhongwei?
July is the warmest month in Zhongwei, with an average high of 33 °C (91 °F) and an average low of 19 °C (67 °F).
What is the coldest month in Zhongwei?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 1 °C (34 °F) and an average low of -10 °C (14 °F).
When does it rain the most in Zhongwei?
August is the wettest month with about 48 mm (1.9 in) of precipitation; December is the driest with about 1 mm (0.0 in).
What is the best time to visit Zhongwei?
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 1,536 m, while Zhongwei lies at about 1,227 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +2 °C3.6 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.