Climate Mongolia
Due to its geographical location and its average altitude of 1500 meters, Mongolia has a continental climate pushed to the extreme, with very contrasting seasons. Mountainous, the climate has no maritime influence. It is generally sunny, dry and windy in all seasons.
Mongolian summers are mild and rainy, with average temperatures ranging from 20 to 25°C. On the contrary, winters are icy and harsh, and it is not uncommon for the mercury to drop below -40°C in some areas. In Ulaanbaatar, the average temperature is -19°C in winter, which makes it the coldest capital in the world!
Rightly called the "land of blue skies", Mongolia enjoys 257 days of sunshine per year and little rainfall. In the north of the country, the average rainfall is 20 to 35 cm, and it decreases as you go down to the south, extremely dry in the Gobi desert.
The summer
From mid-May to the end of August, summer is undoubtedly the most favorable season for tourism, despite the precipitation that is encountered. The latter, if they are concentrated on the months of July and August, remain generally of short duration, except in the north of the country, around the lake Khovsgol, where it can rain for days.
Average summer temperatures are around 25°C, but can vary drastically depending on the region and altitude. Thus, the mountain ranges enjoy a much more temperate climate while the south of the country, covered by the Gobi desert, burns at temperatures that can reach 40°C. At night, it can be as low as -30°C.
Whether it is due to the contrast between day and night or the altitude, the temperature variations require to bring clothes for any kind of weather, even in summer. In this season, the days are very long: the sun rises around 5 am and does not set before 10:30 pm.
Winter
From November to February, the Mongolian winter has extreme temperatures. On average, the thermostat shows -24°C but can go down to -40°C. Snowfalls are frequent, but light, except in the north of the country. Nevertheless, some winters are affected by white züds , heavy snowfalls that make grazing impossible, exposing animals to hunger and cold. Between 2000 and 2002, three consecutive winters were hit by particularly deadly züds that caused the death of 11 million head of livestock and affected thousands of herders and their families, risking starvation and poverty.
Despite the unfavorable climatic conditions for tourism, the most experienced travelers will be able to travel in Mongolia in winter with the right equipment and a good physical condition.
Autumn and spring
The intermediate seasons are particularly short in Mongolia, with the transition from summer to winter taking place in a matter of weeks. Thus, autumn begins as early as September and ends in October, and spring extends from March to mid-May.
If the weather is very changeable in Mongolia, this statement is particularly true during these two periods. Both spring and autumn have extreme climatic variations: the temperature can go down and up by about ten degrees in a few hours. One can experience the four seasons in the space of a day!
In autumn, temperatures drop quickly, especially at night, which can be freezing. The atmosphere cools down quickly and dissipates the mildness of summer. It can also start to freeze, or even snow, as early as September!
Spring is marked by strong winds that can form spectacular sandstorms, especially in the border regions of the Gobi Desert, where they occur 30 days a year. With milder temperatures, which are again above zero, spring also corresponds to the beginning of the snow melt. Between impassable fords and muddy roads, one must be prepared for any eventuality when traveling in the country in April.
