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Zhangye weather by month: averages, rainfall & climate trends

Seasons run to extremes in Zhangye: monthly means span 29.6°C between the coldest month and the warmest. Precipitation is scarce in every season. Zhangye weather by month: average temperatures, rainfall, extremes and how the climate has changed since 1940.

Today vs average

−3.3°Chigh well below average

13° / −2°Today
16° / 1°Average
see today in detail →

How it's changed

−0.1°Caverage temperature, 2016–2025 vs 1940–1949average temperature vs 1940–49152frost days a year now (2016–2025) · 158 in the 1940sfrost days a year · 158 in the 1940s48days above 30°C a year now (2016–2025) · 55 in the 1940sdays above 30°C · 55 in the 1940s−0.1°C vs the 1940s · see how it's changed →
Weather by montha typical year, averaged over the full recordJanuary, rain 4 mmhigh 0°low −14°February, rain 4 mmhigh 4°low −10°March, rain 8 mmhigh 11°low −4°April, rain 10 mmhigh 18°low 3°May, rain 13 mmhigh 23°low 9°June, rain 23 mmhigh 27°low 14°July, rain 37 mmhigh 29°low 16°August, rain 39 mmhigh 28°low 15°September, rain 23 mmhigh 23°low 9°October, rain 9 mmhigh 16°low 2°November, rain 5 mmhigh 8°low −6°December, rain 5 mmhigh 1°low −12°wettest month August, 39 mm · 179 mm a yearsee month by month →

Right now

What it's doing today vs the historical average for this date.
Partly cloudy

Right now

12.1°

7°feels like
31%humidity
−5°dew point
15 km/hfrom N
UV index2.5
sunrise07:31sunset18:34day length11h 04m
TodayPartly cloudy13°−2°
TueClear9°−2°
WedClear18°−3°
ThuClear18°−2°
FriClear13°0°
SatPartly cloudy11°−3°
SunOvercast7°0°

On this date: October 19

Today (forecast)
13° / −2°
Average for October 19
16° / 1°

High well below average · −3.3°C

  • Highest since 1940: 27.1° · 2015
  • Lowest since 1940: −5.3° · 1987
  • One year ago: 12° / −2°

Every October 19 in history, coldest to hottest

▲ Daily highs▼ Daily lows

Dots show daily highs (top) and lows (bottom) for each October 19 on record (n = 87). Outlined dots are today's forecast.

Area we sample

Each city's history comes from one ERA5 grid cell, about 28 km across, shown by the dashed box. Near mountains or coasts, conditions can vary across the cell.

Location & data

Historical weather for Zhangye is sampled from the ECMWF ERA5 reanalysis at 38.93°N, 100.45°E, with daily records since 1940.

Coordinates
38.93°N, 100.45°E
Time zone
Asia/Shanghai
Period
1940–2026
Data source
ERA5 (ECMWF)

Last 30 days

19 of the last 31 days were warmer than the historical average for that date. Average difference: +0.8°C.

Each bar is one day, from morning low to afternoon high. Warm-colored bars are days whose mean ran above average; cool bars ran below. The dot inside the bar is the daily mean. The shaded band is the typical 10–90% range expected for that date. Average = the day's mean temperature averaged across every year of record (1940–2026) for that calendar date.

This date over the years

One dot per year, showing the mean temperature on this calendar date. Dots are warmer or cooler than the long-term average (dashed line); the shaded band is the typical 10–90% range, and the highlighted dot is today's forecast. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Weather by month

Average temperatures and rainfall for each month: a typical year, from the full record.

Climate overview

The warmest month is July, with typical afternoon highs of 28.7°C and nights around 15.9°C. In a typical recent year, around 50 days reach 30°C or more. At the other extreme, January brings afternoon highs of about 0.3°C and typical overnight lows of −14.1°C. Around 150 days a year dip below freezing.

Zhangye averages only about 179 mm a year, and what little falls comes mostly around August.

Over the full record (since 1940), the annual mean temperature in Zhangye has fallen by 0.1°C between its first decade and its last. You can follow the shift year by year in the charts below.

Climate graph (climograph)

July is the warmest month, January the coolest: a yearly swing of 30°C. Wettest month: August (~39 mm). Whole year averages ~179 mm of rain.

Bars = average monthly rainfall (right axis). Lines = average daily high and low (left axis). Average = each month's value averaged across every year of record (1940–2026).

Rainy days by month

About 23 rainy days a year: most in August (~5), fewest in January (almost none).

Bars = average number of days with ≥ 2 mm per month. Hover for the monthly rainfall total.

Monthly wind

Average daily peak wind at 10 m, by month.

Monthly solar energy

Average daily incoming solar energy in megajoules per square metre: the record's own proxy for how sunny the month is.

Zhangye month by month: what to expect

Typical conditions for each month, averaged across the full record (since 1940). Daylight is the time from sunrise to sunset. Highest and Lowest are the most extreme values in the ERA5 dataset (modelled since 1940), so they can differ from official weather-station readings.

MonthAvg highAvg lowRainRainy daysDaylightHighestLowest
January0.3°−14.1°4 mm09.6 h18.6° (2014)−30.0° (1958)
February4.0°−10.4°4 mm010.5 h19.1° (2017)−26.9° (1964)
March10.9°−3.7°8 mm111.7 h26.8° (2003)−19.5° (1940)
April17.8°3.2°10 mm113.0 h33.5° (2004)−9.9° (1969)
May23.4°9.5°13 mm214.1 h37.0° (2024)−3.8° (1982)
June27.3°13.8°23 mm314.7 h38.8° (1953)2.6° (1969)
July28.7°15.9°37 mm414.5 h41.6° (1944)7.0° (1979)
August27.5°14.8°39 mm513.5 h39.5° (1944)6.5° (1969)
September22.8°9.4°23 mm312.2 h35.1° (2023)−2.8° (2004)
October16.2°1.8°9 mm111.0 h29.6° (1941)−11.4° (1986)
November7.7°−5.6°5 mm19.8 h23.4° (2018)−24.2° (1967)
December1.4°−11.9°5 mm09.3 h15.9° (1984)−26.3° (1947)

How it's changed

Year-by-year signals from 1940 to today.

Climate stripes

Annual mean shifted from 1940–1949 to 2016–2025 by −0.1°C.

Each vertical stripe is one year. Color encodes how much that year's annual mean differed from the long-term average. Average = each year's annual mean compared to the average of all years (1940–2026). cooler ← → warmer

Annual mean temperature

Long-term trend: +0.06°C per decade.

One point per year, showing the temperature averaged across the whole year. The dashed line is the least-squares long-term trend. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Seasonal warming

Dec–Feb is warming fastest: +0.14°C per decade.

Each faint line is one three-month period's average per year; the bold dashed line is its long-term trend. Different parts of the year often warm at different rates. Based on ERA5 reanalysis: modelled estimates, not station readings.

Hot days vs frost days

Days ≥ 30°C per year: 55.1 early in the record → 47.6 recently. Frost days: 158 → 152.

Thin lines are raw yearly counts; thick lines are the smoothed trend that removes year-to-year noise. The hot-day threshold is auto-picked per city so the line actually moves. Average = a centered 5-year rolling average to smooth weather noise.

Yearly hot & cold extremes

Hottest day since 1940 in 1944, coldest in 1958: 41.6°C / −30.0°C.

One point per year: the single hottest and coldest day recorded that year.

Annual rainfall

~179 mm/year on average. Last decade: −8% vs that average. Long-term trend: −3 mm per decade.

One bar per year of total rainfall. Dashed line is the long-term average. Average = the average annual rainfall across every year of record (1940–2026).

Day-by-day grid

Each tiny square is one calendar day across the full record, about 30,000 days per city. Use the mode switch above the chart: Anomaly colors each day by how far it ran from the historical average for that date (red = warmer, blue = cooler), Daily mean temp shows the absolute mean temperature for the day (useful to see seasons and heatwaves), and Precipitation shows daily rainfall (useful to spot wet/dry seasons and droughts). Average = the long-term average for that calendar date (1940–2026).

Frequently asked questions about Zhangye

Which is the warmest month in Zhangye?
On long-term average, the warmest month in Zhangye is July (mean daily temperature of about 22.2°C) and the coolest is January (about −7.5°C).
How does today's temperature in Zhangye compare to the historical average?
On October 19, 2026, Zhangye is forecast to reach a high of 12.6°C and a low of −2.4°C. The long-term average for this date (the full record since 1940) is a high of 15.9°C and a low of 1.2°C, so today's high is 3.3°C cooler than that average.
How much has Zhangye warmed since 1940?
Comparing the first decade of the record (1940–1949) with the most recent (2016–2025), the annual mean temperature in Zhangye is about 0.1°C cooler.
How much does it rain in Zhangye?
Zhangye receives about 179 mm of precipitation per year on long-term average, with August typically the wettest month.
What is the average temperature in Zhangye?
Over the full record (since 1940), the annual mean temperature in Zhangye is about 8.5°C. The warmest month is July and the coolest is January.
What are the average temperatures in Zhangye by month?
Average daily highs and lows for each month in Zhangye (°C, full record since 1940): January 0°/−14°, February 4°/−10°, March 11°/−4°, April 18°/3°, May 23°/9°, June 27°/14°, July 29°/16°, August 28°/15°, September 23°/9°, October 16°/2°, November 8°/−6°, December 1°/−12°.
What is the weather like in Zhangye in summer?
June to August is summer in Zhangye, and it is warm. Daytime highs sit at 27–29°C and nights at 14–16°C; July is the warmest month. Rain picks up through the season: 3 rainy days and 23 mm in June, 5 days and 39 mm in August. It is the wettest season of the year.
What is the weather like in Zhangye in winter?
In winter, December through February, Zhangye is dry and cold, with afternoons close to freezing. Afternoons run 0–4°C and nights −14 to −10°C; January is the coldest month. Hardly any rain or snow falls.
What is the weather like in Zhangye in spring?
In spring, March through May, Zhangye is dry and fairly mild. March starts at 11°C by day and −4°C at night; by May it is 23°C and 9°C. Rain picks up through the season: 1 rainy day and 8 mm in March, 2 days and 13 mm in May.
What is the weather like in Zhangye in autumn?
In autumn, September through November, Zhangye is dry and fairly mild. September is still 23°C by day and 9°C at night; by November it is down to 8°C and −6°C. Rain eases through the season: 3 rainy days and 23 mm in September, 1 day and 5 mm in November.
How many days a year does it rain in Zhangye?
On long-term average, Zhangye has about 23 days a year with at least 2 mm of rain or snow. The annual total is roughly 179 mm.

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