Best time to visit Ürümqi
The best time to visit Ürümqi is May–September, judged on twenty years of weather records and the events worth going for.
Ürümqi, Xinjiang, China
°C
mm
- Average daily high and low
- Precipitation
- Good month
- Best month
- Made good or best by an event
| Month | Average daily high | Average daily low | Precipitation | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | -6.7 °C / 20 °F | -15.4 °C / 4 °F | 7 mm / 0.3 in | neither best nor good |
| February | -2.9 °C / 27 °F | -11.8 °C / 11 °F | 11 mm / 0.4 in | neither best nor good |
| March | 7.2 °C / 45 °F | -2.9 °C / 27 °F | 27 mm / 1 in | neither best nor good |
| April | 16.6 °C / 62 °F | 5.9 °C / 43 °F | 45 mm / 1.8 in | good month |
| May | 21.8 °C / 71 °F | 11.3 °C / 52 °F | 46 mm / 1.8 in | best month |
| June | 26.6 °C / 80 °F | 17.1 °C / 63 °F | 28 mm / 1.1 in | best month |
| July | 28.6 °C / 83 °F | 19.1 °C / 66 °F | 26 mm / 1 in | best month |
| August | 27.1 °C / 81 °F | 17.3 °C / 63 °F | 32 mm / 1.3 in | best month |
| September | 21.8 °C / 71 °F | 11.3 °C / 52 °F | 31 mm / 1.2 in | best month |
| October | 13.8 °C / 57 °F | 3.4 °C / 38 °F | 33 mm / 1.3 in | good month |
| November | 3.9 °C / 39 °F | -4.8 °C / 23 °F | 29 mm / 1.1 in | neither best nor good |
| December | -4.6 °C / 24 °F | -12.9 °C / 9 °F | 13 mm / 0.5 in | neither best nor good |
Good and best months depend on more than temperature, rain and events. How they are chosen
Each activity on this page has its own good and best months, rated on twenty years of daily weather records. Which measures count, and how much, depends on the activity: humidity for exploring outdoors, wind for the beach, hiking and skiing, snow for skiing alone. Between them, the activities are rated on:
- Daytime highs
- Night-time lows
- How warm it feels
- Humidity
- How much of the day is sunny
- Hours of daylight
- Monthly rainfall
- How many days it rains
- Days of heavy rain
- Wind
- Snowfall and days with snow
- Major events, such as festivals
The chart shows the good and best months for exploring outdoors.
The event icon marks a month that an event lifts to good or best, such as a festival or a natural spectacle. Choose “Weather only” in the toolbar to rate the months on weather alone.
Best months by activity
Exploring outdoors
Mild days and nights, mostly dry and bright. The default for 'when should I go'.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: neither
- AApril: good
- MMay: best
- JJune: best
- JJuly: best
- AAugust: best
- SSeptember: best
- OOctober: good
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- May–September
- Good
- April, October
Bitterly cold, often icy winters (November-March) rule out comfortable sightseeing, but April through September brings mild-to-warm, sunny, largely dry days that are excellent for exploring, with October a cooler but still pleasant shoulder month.
Why these months
April · good
In its favour: precipitation 45 mm / 1.8 in, share of daylight that is sunny 85%, average daily high 16.6 °C / 62 °F, days with heavy rain 1.2 days, relative humidity 46%, average daily low 5.9 °C / 43 °F.
Against: feels like (high) 13.6 °C / 56 °F, wet days 7.3 days.
May · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 19.3 °C / 67 °F, average daily high 21.8 °C / 71 °F, precipitation 46 mm / 1.8 in, share of daylight that is sunny 80%, average daily low 11.3 °C / 52 °F, relative humidity 44%.
Against: wet days 7.3 days, days with heavy rain 1.6 days.
Also on: Dragon Boat Festival.
June · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 25 °C / 77 °F, precipitation 28 mm / 1.1 in, share of daylight that is sunny 79%, average daily high 26.6 °C / 80 °F, wet days 5.8 days, days with heavy rain 0.8 days, average daily low 17.1 °C / 63 °F, relative humidity 41%.
Also on: Dragon Boat Festival.
July · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 27.6 °C / 82 °F, precipitation 26 mm / 1 in, share of daylight that is sunny 82%, wet days 4.8 days, days with heavy rain 0.5 days, average daily high 28.6 °C / 83 °F, relative humidity 42%, average daily low 19.1 °C / 66 °F.
August · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 25.7 °C / 78 °F, precipitation 32 mm / 1.3 in, share of daylight that is sunny 83%, average daily high 27.1 °C / 81 °F, wet days 5.7 days, days with heavy rain 0.6 days, average daily low 17.3 °C / 63 °F, relative humidity 44%.
September · best
In its favour: feels like (high) 19.1 °C / 66 °F, average daily high 21.8 °C / 71 °F, precipitation 31 mm / 1.2 in, share of daylight that is sunny 86%, wet days 6 days, days with heavy rain 0.7 days, average daily low 11.3 °C / 52 °F, relative humidity 47%.
Also on: Mid-Autumn Festival.
October · good
In its favour: precipitation 33 mm / 1.3 in, share of daylight that is sunny 85%, days with heavy rain 0.9 days, average daily high 13.8 °C / 57 °F, relative humidity 57%.
Against: feels like (high) 10.2 °C / 50 °F, wet days 6 days, average daily low 3.4 °C / 38 °F.
Also on: Mid-Autumn Festival.
Watch out for: National Day travel rush (Golden Week).
Hiking and trekking
Cool enough to climb in, dry enough to enjoy, long enough days.
- JJanuary: neither
- FFebruary: neither
- MMarch: neither
- AApril: best
- MMay: best
- JJune: good
- JJuly: good
- AAugust: good
- SSeptember: best
- OOctober: best
- NNovember: neither
- DDecember: neither
- Best
- April–May, September–October
- Good
- June–August
Winter is far too cold and short on daylight for trekking, but April, May, September and October offer ideal cool, dry, bright hiking conditions, while June-August turn warm enough by midday to be merely good rather than best.
Why these months
April · best
In its favour: average daily high 16.6 °C / 62 °F, precipitation 45 mm / 1.8 in, days with heavy rain 1.2 days, feels like (high) 13.6 °C / 56 °F, average daily low 5.9 °C / 43 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 85%, daylight per day 13.4 h, wind (daily max) 17 km/h / 11 mph.
Against: wet days 7.3 days.
May · best
In its favour: average daily high 21.8 °C / 71 °F, precipitation 46 mm / 1.8 in, feels like (high) 19.3 °C / 67 °F, average daily low 11.3 °C / 52 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 80%, daylight per day 14.7 h, wind (daily max) 18 km/h / 11 mph.
Against: days with heavy rain 1.6 days, wet days 7.3 days.
Also on: Dragon Boat Festival.
June · good
In its favour: precipitation 28 mm / 1.1 in, wet days 5.8 days, days with heavy rain 0.8 days, share of daylight that is sunny 79%, daylight per day 15.4 h, wind (daily max) 17 km/h / 10 mph, feels like (high) 25 °C / 77 °F.
Against: average daily high 26.6 °C / 80 °F, average daily low 17.1 °C / 63 °F.
Also on: Dragon Boat Festival.
July · good
In its favour: precipitation 26 mm / 1 in, wet days 4.8 days, days with heavy rain 0.5 days, share of daylight that is sunny 82%, daylight per day 15.1 h, wind (daily max) 16 km/h / 10 mph.
Against: average daily high 28.6 °C / 83 °F, feels like (high) 27.6 °C / 82 °F, average daily low 19.1 °C / 66 °F.
August · good
In its favour: precipitation 32 mm / 1.3 in, wet days 5.7 days, days with heavy rain 0.6 days, share of daylight that is sunny 83%, daylight per day 14 h, wind (daily max) 16 km/h / 10 mph, feels like (high) 25.7 °C / 78 °F.
Against: average daily high 27.1 °C / 81 °F, average daily low 17.3 °C / 63 °F.
September · best
In its favour: average daily high 21.8 °C / 71 °F, precipitation 31 mm / 1.2 in, wet days 6 days, days with heavy rain 0.7 days, feels like (high) 19.1 °C / 66 °F, average daily low 11.3 °C / 52 °F, share of daylight that is sunny 86%, daylight per day 12.5 h, wind (daily max) 16 km/h / 10 mph.
Also on: Mid-Autumn Festival.
October · best
In its favour: average daily high 13.8 °C / 57 °F, precipitation 33 mm / 1.3 in, wet days 6 days, days with heavy rain 0.9 days, share of daylight that is sunny 85%, average daily low 3.4 °C / 38 °F, feels like (high) 10.2 °C / 50 °F, daylight per day 11 h, wind (daily max) 14 km/h / 9 mph.
Also on: Mid-Autumn Festival.
Watch out for: National Day travel rush (Golden Week).
An activity is listed only where it applies: skiing at ski destinations, beach and swimming at beach destinations. The nearest ski area is 丝绸之路滑雪场, 42 km away.
Weather averages
Monthly averages over twenty years, 2006–2025. Highs, lows and precipitation are in the chart at the top.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels like (high) | -10.8 °C | -7 °C | 3.6 °C | 13.6 °C | 19.3 °C | 25 °C | 27.6 °C | 25.7 °C | 19.1 °C | 10.2 °C | 0.1 °C | -8.7 °C |
| Days with heavy rain | 0 days | 0.1 days | 0.6 days | 1.2 days | 1.6 days | 0.8 days | 0.5 days | 0.6 days | 0.7 days | 0.9 days | 0.7 days | 0.1 days |
| Time rain usually falls | 8 am | 1 am | 10 pm | 10 pm | 1 pm | 10 pm | 8 am | 8 pm | 9 pm | 10 am | 10 pm | 7 pm |
| Sunshine per day | 8.3 h | 9.3 h | 10.4 h | 11.4 h | 11.8 h | 12.1 h | 12.3 h | 11.6 h | 10.7 h | 9.3 h | 8.3 h | 7.6 h |
| Relative humidity | 62% | 63% | 58% | 46% | 44% | 41% | 42% | 44% | 47% | 57% | 61% | 62% |
Air quality
Averaged over a shorter period (2022–2025) than the twenty-year averages above, and not counted towards good or best months.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air pollution (PM2.5) 2022–2025 | 79.5 µg/m³ | 53 µg/m³ | 61.2 µg/m³ | 73.3 µg/m³ | 63.5 µg/m³ | 52.9 µg/m³ | 58.2 µg/m³ | 55.3 µg/m³ | 40.3 µg/m³ | 59.5 µg/m³ | 46.1 µg/m³ | 65.5 µg/m³ |
| Air pollution (PM2.5, daily peak) 2022–2025 | 121.2 µg/m³ | 80.6 µg/m³ | 107.3 µg/m³ | 164.3 µg/m³ | 134.8 µg/m³ | 112.5 µg/m³ | 140.6 µg/m³ | 125.6 µg/m³ | 80 µg/m³ | 118.3 µg/m³ | 75.5 µg/m³ | 100.5 µg/m³ |
- Good 15 µg/m³ or less
- Fair 15 to 25 µg/m³
- Moderate 25 to 37.5 µg/m³
- Poor 37.5 to 50 µg/m³
- Very poor 50 to 75 µg/m³
- Extremely poor over 75 µg/m³
Each figure is compared with the World Health Organization's guideline for a day's air, 15 µg/m³ or less, and with its interim targets above that. The words are ours: the WHO does not name its steps. The figures are modelled monthly averages, so single days can be well above them. The daily peak is the average of each day's highest hour, shaded on the same scale.
Events and seasons
What the weather records cannot show. A major event can lift a month to good or best. The warnings are there to help you plan, and never count against a month.
Reasons to go
- Dragon Boat Festival
May and June, dates vary from year to year
- Mid-Autumn Festival
September and October, dates vary from year to year
Worth knowing before you go
- Chinese New Year travel rush (Spring Festival Golden Week)
January and February, dates vary from year to year
- National Day travel rush (Golden Week)
1–7 October