Mongolia

Weather

It is said that Mongolia can experience four seasons in a single day. This seems especially true in spring when changeable weather creates snowstorms intermixed with bouts of wind and sun. Bear in mind the wind-chill factor: a 10-knot wind can make 0°C feel like -5°C.

The four seasons are very distinct – winter lasts from November to February, spring from March to mid-May, summer from mid-May until late August, and autumn is during September and October. The cold weather in the far north can last a month or two longer than the Gobi areas. The highest rainfalls occur in the taiga areas (subarctic coniferous forests of Siberian larch and pine trees) along the northern border, especially Khentii and Khövsgöl.

When to go

Mongolia has an extreme continental clime; it is so far inland that no sea moderates its climate. Only in summer does cloud-cover shield the sky. Humidity is usually zilch and sunshine is intense. With more than 260 sunny days a year, Mongolia is justifiably known as the ‘Land of Blue Sky’.

The travel season begins in mid-May. Ger camps start opening their doors and more travellers are around to share vehicles. The weather is generally fair although early May can still see snowfall, especially in the north.

June weather is fine and generally dry throughout the central and southern regions. The mountains and northern areas can still be cold.

July is the time to see the Naadam Festival. Unfortunately, this is also the peak tourist season when Ulaanbaatar’s inadequate accommodation and creaky transport is stretched to breaking point. It’s a good time to look for travel partners and get out of the city. Gobi temperatures this month can hit 40°C.

August can see lots of rain in the northern and central areas. This weather fills up rivers and brings fresh grass to the steppes, but it can also bog the roads with mud and attract mosquitoes. Still, it’s a great time to travel in Mongolia.

September is another fine month. Cooler weather brings relief to the Gobi and the changing colours in the northern forests make for spectacular scenery. Flies and mosquitoes start to disappear.

October is cool and sees the occasional snow flurry up north but is still fine for travel, especially in the Gobi. Weather patterns at this time are particularly vulnerable to change. One minute you’re walking around in a T-shirt, the next you need an overcoat and boots, then it’s back to T-shirts.

The cold season runs from November to February.

Mongolians, especially nomads, consider March and April the worst months. After the long winter, livestock will already be thin and a lack of rain means many will die, causing financial and psychological hardship. If the spring is a harsh one, staying with a nomad family at this time is not recommended.

Ulaanbaatar is possibly the coldest capital city in the world. Temperatures generally start to drop below 0°C in late October, sink to -30°C in January and February and remain below freezing until April. July through September is pleasant, but it can still turn suddenly cold and, unfortunately, most of the city’s rain falls in this period. Summer daylight lasts until 10pm.