Climate on Tibet Plateau
Tibet Local Time:22:05:20 GMT+8
Lhasa Weather
tibet tour logo,professional tibet tour operator

Office Hour: 09:00am - 06:00pm, (GMT+8)

Call our professional Tibet tour advisors

+86-23-86915020

Home > Tibet Guide > Tibet Climate

Climate on Tibet Plateau

Update: Jan. 7th, 2013

Tibet Plateau

Climate on Tibet Plateau - General Characteristics

The climate on Tibet Plateau is generalized as strong ultraviolet, long sunshine duration and low temperature. As we all known, the temperature would be lower with the rising of the elevation and latitude. It is calculated that the annual average temperature would lower 0.57? if the elevation is 100 meters higher. The annual average temperature would lower 0.63? if the latitude is 1°higher.

In addition, the climate on Tibet Plateau is also characterized by obvious temperature difference, distinctive dry season and rainy season, frequent rainfall. Tourists made a Tibet tour in winter would find that the winter on Tibet Plateau is dry, cold and pretty long. The summer on Tibet Plateau is always cool but the hailing happens frequently. Actually, there are no distinctive seasons on Tibet Plateau except some regions in Nyingchi Prefecture. The average temperature in the warmest month is under 15? in most of the regions on Tibet Plateau. The average temperature of January and July on Tibet Plateau is about 15? to 20? lower compared to the eastern plain regions in the same latitude.

Climate on Tibet Plateau – Characteristics in the Winter Half Year

The winter half year on Tibet Plateau is mainly characterized by cold, dry, windy and scarce rainfall. The temperature on Tibet is very low due to its high elevation. Most of the regions on Tibet Plateau enjoy an average temperature of lower than 0? in January. The extremely low temperature is lower than -20? in most of the regions. The historical record of the extremely low temperature in Nagqu with an altitude of 4507 meters was even lower than -41.2?.

The duration of the low temperature in different regions on Tibet Plateau is quite different due to the great disparity in elevation. The average temperature would be under 0? between October and April in western Tibet Plateau and Northern Tibet Plateau. There are only about 2-3 months with an average temperature of lower than 0? in Yarlung Zangbo River Valley with an altitude of lower than 4000 meters.

Climate on Tibet Plateau – Characteristics in the Summer Half Year

The summer half year on Tibet Plateau is mainly characterized by cool, abundant sunshine duration, frequent rainfall and hailing. On Tibet Plateau, the solar radiation is much stronger and sunshine duration is much longer than the other regions in the same latitude due to the low impurity content and high transparency in the atmosphere. Take Lhasa as an example, the annul sunshine duration here is 3007.7 hours and the average annual radiation here reaches 7784.2 joules each square meter.

The average temperature of the warmest month in the summer half year on Tibet Plateau is less than 18? for its high altitude and summer is the rainy season. Hence, Tibet is really a good summer resort with cool climate. The average temperature is around 10? to 18? in southeastern Tibet Plateau and Yarlung Zangbo River Valley with an average elevation of 4500 meters.

Share |
Quick Links:
Master Card VISA American Express Paypal Bank of China
Copyright 2011 | Tibet Tour Dot Com | All rights reserved. See our Privacy Policy, User Agreement