Chengdu Climate

Climate of Chengdu

Located in the transition zone from Northwest Sichuan Plateau to Sichuan basin, Chengdu has its own unique climatic characteristics. Most of Chengdu area enjoys a subtropical humid monsoon climate characterized by early spring, hot summer, cool autumn and warm winter. One prominent feature of the Chengdu climate is the cloudy and short duration of sunshine, another is the humidity of the air. It is sweltering in the summer, gloomy and cold in the winter.

Due to great differences between Northwest Sichuan Plateau to Sichuan basin, the heat declines with the rise , therefore two types of climate “warm in east and cool in west” coexist in this land. What’s more, in the western hills, the temperature difference in different parts of the mountain at the same time, forms climate types of Warm Temperate Zone, Temperate Zone, Cold Temperate Zone and Subfrigid Zone.

Chengdu has four distinct seasons and is rich in heat. Annual average temperature is around 16 degrees Celsius , and the annual frost-free period is 278 days. The first-frost date generally appears at the end of November and last frost period in late February. In winter, the average temperature in the coldest month(January) is 5 degrees Celsius, and the lowest temperature below 0 degrees Celsius mainly appears in the mid-to-end December and early January, a few appears in the mid-to-late January. The average temperature is 1 ~ 2 degrees Celsius higher than the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze river region. spring comes half a month early.

There are less rain in winter and spring, while plenty rainfall in summer and autumn. Annual average precipitation is 900 ~ 1300 millimeter with small interannual variability of precipitation. The wind speed is small, 1 ~ 1.5 m/s in the vast plains and hilly areas. Less sunny days and the annual average sunshine duration is 1042 ~ 1412 hours.

Best Time to Visit Chengdu

Spring and autumn is the best season to travel Chengdu because of the moderate temperature and good climate suitable for getting around.In spring, there are pear flowers, peach blossoms, canola flowers, azaleas, and so on. In autumn, you can enjoy the mountainous ginkgo and red leaves.

While in summer, the temperature is not high but sweltering, Qingcheng Mountain, Tiantai Mountain, Kowloon Valley, etc are famous summer resort to get some shade and respite from the heat. In winter, usually the temperature is above 0 degrees with few snows but gloomy and cold, Jiuzhaigou and Xiling Snow Mountain are the fantastic places to enjoy the view of snow.

Dressing Tips

• March - June, September - November: Dress normally in spring and autumn. Due to great temperature difference between morning and night, it is better to wear a thin sweater and windbreaker to avoid catching cold.
• July - August: Sultry in summer. It is better to wear frivolous breathable clothes and carry mosqulio repellent with you in case of mosquitoes.
• December - February: Sometimes it is below zero in winter but with few snow. Thick clothing and thick socks are necessary for it is wet and cold, especially in rainy days.