Dunhuang climate — normals and trends
Dunhuang (China) has a cold desert climate (BWk) under the Köppen-Geiger classification. Its mean annual temperature is 11.5 °C and it receives 33 mm of precipitation per year.
These figures are normals computed over 86 complete calendar years, from 1940 to 2025, using ERA5 reanalysis data from the Copernicus programme.
The warmest month is July (27.7 °C on average) and the coldest is January (-7.1 °C). Rainfall peaks in July.
Dunhuang averages 140 frost days, 89 hot days (≥ 30 °C) and 8 rainy days per year.
No statistically significant temperature trend emerges for Dunhuang between 1940 and 2025: over this span, year-to-year swings outweigh the climate signal.
The hottest day of the period reached 43.7 °C (on 31 July 1999) and the coldest -24.3 °C (on 27 December 1991).
Data from ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus Climate Change Service), redistributed under a CC-BY 4.0 licence. Normals are recomputed whenever the archive is updated.
Climate normals · ERA5
DunhuangGansu
- coords
- 40.17°, 94.68°
- period
- 1940–2025 · 86 yrs
Mean daily temperature
11.5°C
Average daily high
18.1°C
Average daily low
4.9°C
Annual rainfall
33mm
Sunshine / day
10.8h
Mean relative humidity
30%
Average peak wind
20.3km/h
Seasonal range
34.8°C
Frost days (< 0 °C)
140 d/yr
Hot days (≥ 30 °C)
89 d/yr
Rainy days (≥ 1 mm)
8 d/yr
Annual snowfall
4.8 cm
Average feels-like high
13.8 °C
Average feels-like low
0.4 °C
Average peak gust
34.8 km/h
Tropical nights (≥ 20 °C)
43 d/yr
Solar radiation
19.1 MJ/m²
Has the climate changed?
One stripe per year, 1940 to 2025
No clear trend over this period
Over a short window, year-to-year swings outweigh the climate signal. Try 86 years.
Trend fitted by linear regression (ordinary least squares) on annual means. A trend is shown only when it is statistically significant (p < 0.05).
A climograph overlays rainfall (bars) and temperature (line): the standard reading in climatology, where you can see at a glance whether the warm season is also the dry one.
Records for the period
Hottest day
43.7 °C
31 July 1999
Coldest day
-24.3 °C
27 December 1991
Wettest day
32 mm
30 June 1979
Windiest day
68.0 km/h
19 May 1986
Strongest gust
104.0 km/h
19 May 1986
Hottest feels-like
42.4 °C
29 July 2025
Coldest feels-like
-30.5 °C
27 December 1991
Snowiest day
4.4 cm
9 December 1963
Sunniest day
14.3 h
15 June 2025
Normals computed over complete calendar years 1940–2025.
A specific year
Pick a year and see how it compares to normal — warmer, drier or more extreme than usual?
Across the whole year
Month by month
| High | vs. normal | Precipitation | vs. normal | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.3 °C | +1.2 °C | 2 mm | +1 mm |
| Feb | 5.3 °C | +0.4 °C | 0 mm | -1 mm |
| Mar | 12.5 °C | -1.0 °C | 1 mm | -1 mm |
| Apr | 22.7 °C | +1.5 °C | 3 mm | +1 mm |
| May | 28.9 °C | +1.7 °C | 2 mm | -1 mm |
| Jun | 33.3 °C | +1.7 °C | 4 mm | -2 mm |
| Jul | 35.6 °C | +1.8 °C | 5 mm | -1 mm |
| Aug | 33.2 °C | +0.6 °C | 9 mm | +4 mm |
| Sep | 27.7 °C | +0.7 °C | 1 mm | -1 mm |
| Oct | 18.6 °C | +0.2 °C | 0 mm | -1 mm |
| Nov | 8.7 °C | +0.8 °C | 3 mm | +2 mm |
| Dec | 1.7 °C | +1.8 °C | 5 mm | +3 mm |
The year's extremes
What was the weather like that day?
Your birthday, a wedding, a memorable trip: discover the actual weather for any date since 1940.
Frequently asked questions
What is the climate of Dunhuang?
Dunhuang has a cold desert climate (Köppen BWk). Over 1940-2025, the average annual temperature is 11.5 °C and it receives 33 mm of precipitation per year.
What is the hottest day ever recorded in Dunhuang?
The hottest day measured in Dunhuang between 1940 and 2025 was 31 July 1999, reaching 43.7 °C.
What is the coldest day in Dunhuang?
The coldest day measured in Dunhuang between 1940 and 2025 was 27 December 1991, at -24.3 °C.
Does it snow in Dunhuang?
Yes. Dunhuang gets on average 4.8 cm of snow per year and has around 140 frost days.
Has the climate of Dunhuang warmed?
Between 1940 and 2025, no statistically significant temperature trend emerges in Dunhuang.
What is the wettest day in Dunhuang?
The wettest day measured in Dunhuang between 1940 and 2025 was 30 June 1979, with 32 mm of rain in 24 hours.
What was the windiest day in Dunhuang?
The windiest day measured in Dunhuang between 1940 and 2025 was 19 May 1986, with winds reaching 68.0 km/h.
What is the warmest month in Dunhuang?
The warmest month in Dunhuang is July (27.7 °C on average); the coldest is January (-7.1 °C).
How much does it rain in Dunhuang?
Dunhuang receives on average 33 mm of precipitation per year, spread over about 8 rainy days.
Is it sunny in Dunhuang?
Dunhuang gets on average 10.8 hours of sunshine per day, roughly 3,942 hours per year over 1940-2025.
What is the biggest single-day snowfall in Dunhuang?
The heaviest 24-hour snowfall measured in Dunhuang between 1940 and 2025 was 9 December 1963, with 4.4 cm.
Are there tropical nights in Dunhuang?
Yes: Dunhuang has on average 43 tropical nights per year (temperature staying above 20 °C), over 1940-2025.
What was the most extreme apparent temperature in Dunhuang?
In Dunhuang, between 1940 and 2025, the highest apparent temperature reached 42.4 °C on 29 July 2025, and the lowest was -30.5 °C on 27 December 1991.
Compare Dunhuang with another city
Pick a second city: its normals will be set against these, indicator by indicator.