In Urumqi a semi-arid climate prevails, with very large differences between summer and winter, warm summers, with a July daily average of 23.7 °C (74.7 °F), and very cold winters, with a January daily average of −12.6 °C (9.3 °F). The annual average temperature is 6.90 °C (44.4 °F). The city is semi-arid, with its summers slightly wetter than its winters, yet sunny weather is much more likely in the warmer months, and relative humidity is the lowest during summer. With monthly percent possible sunshine ranging from 30 percent in December to 70 percent in August and September, the city receives 2,523 hours of bright sunshine annually. Its annual precipitation is about 290 millimetres (11.4 in). Extremes since 1951 have ranged from −41.5 °C (−43 °F) on 27 February 1951 to 42.1 °C (108 °F) on 1 August 1973.
| Climate data for Ürümqi | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) |
−7.4 (18.7) |
−4.7 (23.5) |
2.7 (36.9) |
16.1 (61) |
23.1 (73.6) |
27.6 (81.7) |
30.1 (86.2) |
29.0 (84.2) |
23.1 (73.6) |
13.2 (55.8) |
2.0 (35.6) |
−4.4 (24.1) |
12.5 (54.6) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) |
−12.0 (10.4) |
−9.2 (15.4) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
10.5 (50.9) |
17.2 (63) |
21.9 (71.4) |
24.2 (75.6) |
22.9 (73.2) |
17.2 (63) |
8.2 (46.8) |
−2.0 (28.4) |
−8.7 (16.3) |
7.4 (45.33) |
| Average low °C (°F) |
−16.6 (2.1) |
−13.7 (7.3) |
−5.4 (22.3) |
4.8 (40.6) |
11.2 (52.2) |
16.1 (61) |
18.2 (64.8) |
16.7 (62.1) |
11.2 (52.2) |
3.1 (37.6) |
−5.9 (21.4) |
−12.9 (8.8) |
2.2 (36.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) |
10.4 (0.409) |
10.0 (0.394) |
18.5 (0.728) |
32.3 (1.272) |
38.9 (1.531) |
36.2 (1.425) |
30.4 (1.197) |
23.3 (0.917) |
26.2 (1.031) |
26.3 (1.035) |
19.1 (0.752) |
14.6 (0.575) |
286.2 (11.266) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) | 9.2 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 8.0 | 8.4 | 6.3 | 5.0 | 5.5 | 6.9 | 9.6 | 86.9 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 78 | 77 | 72 | 48 | 43 | 43 | 43 | 41 | 44 | 58 | 74 | 78 | 58.3 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 101.6 | 128.8 | 180.5 | 248.0 | 283.3 | 282.7 | 298.7 | 301.0 | 262.6 | 224.4 | 127.4 | 84.3 | 2,523.3 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 35 | 44 | 49 | 62 | 63 | 61 | 64 | 70 | 70 | 66 | 44 | 30 | 57 |
| Source: China Meteorological Administration | |||||||||||||