Tibet weather and climate

The unique geographical environment has created Tibet's complex, changeable, and unique plateau climate. From the perspective of temperature difference, Tibet is characterized by a small annual temperature difference range but a large daily temperature difference.

1. The daily average temperature difference in Lhasa, Shigatse, Chamdo, and other places is 14°C~16°C. In the Ngari area, which is above 5,000 meters above sea level, can reach over 10°C during the summer in August during the day and the night temperature drops below zero, and the creeks and pools freeze.

2. Four seasons a day, cold weather all year round. In June each year, the highest temperature at noon in Lhasa and Shigatse can reach 27°C~29°C degrees, bringing people the feeling of midsummer. The temperature drops in the evening, and people feel the coolness of autumn again. The temperature drops to 0°C~5°C degrees at midnight, and quilts are covered all night, just like winter. After sunrise the next morning, the temperature rose again, and it was like spring again.

3. Most areas of Tibet have high altitudes and large temperature differences between day and night. In winter and early spring, the climate is dry and cold, with heavy wind and sand, low oxygen content in the air, and many areas and road sections are covered with snow and ice. Therefore, the best season to travel to Tibet is from April to October. July to August is the rainy season in Tibet, heavy rain may affect the itinerary.

Check the below introduction to the climate and weather of the main cities and regions in Tibet.

1. Weather in Lhasa
2. Weather in Shigatse
3. Weather in Shannan
4. Weather in Ngari Prefecture
5. Weather in Nagqu
6. Weather in Nyingchi
7. Weather in Chamdo

Lhasa is located on the north side of the Himalaya Ranges. Affected by the sinking airflow, Lhasa has many sunny days throughout the year, with little rainfall, no severe cold in winter, and no scorching heat in summer. The rainfall is concentrated from June to September, and mainly 2-3 hours' shower in the late afternoon and evening. The year-round sunshine lasts for more than 3,000 hours, which is known as the "Sunshine City".

Best time to travel: all year round

The general climatic characteristics of Shigatse are thin air, low air pressure, low oxygen contains, strong solar radiation and ultraviolet rays, long sunshine duration, low temperature, small annual temperature difference, and large daily temperature difference. From October to April of the following year, the climate is drought and wind, low temperature, little snowfalls, and very little precipitation. From May to September, the climate is mild and the air is humid. The precipitation is concentrated from July to August, which is the rainy season.

Best time to travel: all year round

Shannan area (Tsedang and Samye) has a temperate arid climate, and the southern border zone has a plateau subarctic semi-arid climate. The average annual precipitation is less than 450 milliliters, and the rainy season is mostly concentrated in June to September. The annual sunshine time in the whole region is 2,600 to 3,300 hours. The wind season is mainly from December to March of the following year.

Best time to travel: all year round

The annual average wind speed in Ngari (Mount Kailash and Lake Manasarovar) is above 3.2 meters per second, the frequency of gale is as high as level 8, and the number of annual gale days is about 149 days. The annual average temperature is about 0℃, and the daily average temperature varies greatly. Due to the high altitude, the climate is cold and dry in the Ngari region, the annual rainfall is quite little, and the winter is long and severely cold.
 

Best time to travel: Mid May to early October

Nagqu (including Namtso Lake) belongs to a sub-frigid climate zone, with high cold, lack of oxygen, dry climate, and windy weather. The average annual temperature is -0.9℃ to -3.3℃. From November to March of the following year, the climate is dry, the temperature is low, the oxygen content is lacking, and there are heavy sandstorms. From May to September, it is relatively warm, which is the golden season for the grassland, during which the climate is mild.

Best time to travel: May to September

The special geographical location has created a variety of climate zones in Nyingchi where tropical, subtropical, temperate and frigid climates coexist. The warm currents of the two oceans flow in all year round, forming Nyingchi's special tropical humid and semi-humid climate. The annual rainfall is about 650 mm, the annual average temperature is around 8.7°C, the annual average sunshine is 2022.2 hours, and the frost-free period is about 180 days.

Best time to travel: Spring and Autumn

The climate of Chamdo is basically characterized by the cold. There are adequate sunshine, strong solar radiation, large daily temperature difference, small annual temperature difference, concentrated rainfall, uneven seasonal distribution, large evaporation, and low relative humidity. Due to the high mountains and deep valleys and complex topography, there is a plateau climate characteristic by the old saying "a mountain has four seasons and ten miles with different weathers". 

Best time to travel: May, June and September