Climate and average weather in Harbin
In Harbin, the summers are humid, warm, showery, and partly cloudy and the winters are frigid, snowy, and mostly clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Harbin typically varies from -23°C to 28°C, and is rarely below -31°C or above 32°C. July is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best times of year to visit Harbin for warm-weather activities are from late April to mid July and late July to early October.
- Hottest
- Jul
- 28°
- Coldest
- Jan
- -23°
- Wettest
- Jul
- 155 mm
- Driest
- Jan
- 4 mm
- Rain / yr
- 642 mm
- 83 wet days
- Daylight
- 8.5–15.5 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 140 m
- 45.8°N
- Clearest
- Dec
- 43% cloud
Harbin is capital of Heilongjiang province, China.
- Air quality
- Very high
- PM2.5 43.2 µg/m³ · 2018
- Density
- 99/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1898
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Harbin weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around late April to mid July.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Harbin, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 5.0 months, from May 1 to September 30, with daily high temperatures above 18°C. The hottest month of the year in Harbin is July, with an average high of 28°C and low of 19°C.
The cool season lasts 2.8 months, from November 27 to February 20, with daily high temperatures below -5°C. The coldest month of the year in Harbin is January, with an average low of -23°C and high of -13°C.
Days typically run about 10°C warmer than nights, with the widest day–night swing (around 12°C) in April.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | -13 | -7 | 3 | 13 | 21 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 21 | 12 | 0 | -10 |
| Avg low (°C) | -23 | -18 | -8 | 1 | 9 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 10 | 1 | -10 | -20 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | -13 | -23 |
| Feb | -7 | -18 |
| Mar | 3 | -8 |
| Apr | 13 | 1 |
| May | 21 | 9 |
| Jun | 26 | 16 |
| Jul | 28 | 19 |
| Aug | 26 | 17 |
| Sep | 21 | 10 |
| Oct | 12 | 1 |
| Nov | 0 | -10 |
| Dec | -10 | -20 |
How hot and cold Harbin really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the coldest nights, wind chill pulls the feels-like down to about -32°C (around January 15), with roughly 198 freezing days a year (feels-like at or below 0°C) — 143 of them bitterly cold — worst in January.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | -13 | -7 | 3 | 13 | 21 | 26 | 29 | 26 | 21 | 12 | 0 | -10 |
| Air high (°C) | -13 | -7 | 3 | 13 | 21 | 26 | 28 | 26 | 21 | 12 | 0 | -10 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | -32 | -26 | -14 | -3 | 8 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 9 | -3 | -16 | -28 |
| Air low (°C) | -23 | -18 | -8 | 1 | 9 | 16 | 19 | 17 | 10 | 1 | -10 | -20 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -13 | -13 | -32 | -23 |
| Feb | -7 | -7 | -26 | -18 |
| Mar | 3 | 3 | -14 | -8 |
| Apr | 13 | 13 | -3 | 1 |
| May | 21 | 21 | 8 | 9 |
| Jun | 26 | 26 | 16 | 16 |
| Jul | 29 | 28 | 19 | 19 |
| Aug | 26 | 26 | 17 | 17 |
| Sep | 21 | 21 | 9 | 10 |
| Oct | 12 | 12 | -3 | 1 |
| Nov | 0 | 0 | -16 | -10 |
| Dec | -10 | -10 | -28 | -20 |
Average hourly temperature in Harbin
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on July afternoons, near 28°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near -23°C.
Harbin weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -13° / -23° | 4 | 1.3 | 1.6 | 8.9 | 0.0 |
| Feb | -7° / -18° | 6 | 1.7 | 2 | 10.1 | 0.0 |
| Mar | 3° / -8° | 15 | 3.6 | 2.7 | 11.6 | 0.3 |
| Apr | 13° / 1° | 30 | 5.6 | 0.6 | 13.3 | 4.0 |
| May | 21° / 9° | 65 | 9.3 | 0.1 | 14.7 | 6.5 |
| Jun | 26° / 16° | 99 | 12.2 | 0 | 15.4 | 6.2 |
| Jul | 28° / 19° | 155 | 14.9 | 0 | 15.1 | 5.7 |
| Aug | 26° / 17° | 138 | 13.5 | 0 | 13.9 | 6.1 |
| Sep | 21° / 10° | 67 | 8.5 | 0 | 12.3 | 6.8 |
| Oct | 12° / 1° | 38 | 6.5 | 0.7 | 10.7 | 3.7 |
| Nov | -0° / -10° | 18 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 9.3 | 0.0 |
| Dec | -10° / -20° | 9 | 2.4 | 2.9 | 8.5 | 0.0 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Harbin gets about 642 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is some rain, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 5.7 months, from around Apr 22 to Oct 10, peaking in July at about 48% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Jan 15.
July is the wettest month by volume, with 155 mm over about 15 wet days; January is the driest, with 4 mm. Some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 4 | 6 | 12 | 20 | 30 | 41 | 47 | 43 | 29 | 21 | 12 | 7 |
| Rain days | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4 | 1 |
| Feb | 6 | 2 |
| Mar | 12 | 4 |
| Apr | 20 | 6 |
| May | 30 | 9 |
| Jun | 41 | 12 |
| Jul | 47 | 15 |
| Aug | 43 | 14 |
| Sep | 29 | 9 |
| Oct | 21 | 7 |
| Nov | 12 | 4 |
| Dec | 7 | 2 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Harbin collects about 642 mm of rain across 83 wet days — roughly 54 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. July is the wettest month with 155 mm, while January is the driest at just 4 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 61% of the year’s total, and some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 4 | 6 | 15 | 30 | 65 | 99 | 155 | 138 | 67 | 38 | 18 | 9 |
| Rain days | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 14 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 2 |
| Snow days | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | Snow days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| Feb | 6 | 2 | 2 |
| Mar | 15 | 4 | 3 |
| Apr | 30 | 6 | 1 |
| May | 65 | 9 | 0 |
| Jun | 99 | 12 | 0 |
| Jul | 155 | 15 | 0 |
| Aug | 138 | 14 | 0 |
| Sep | 67 | 9 | 0 |
| Oct | 38 | 7 | 1 |
| Nov | 18 | 4 | 3 |
| Dec | 9 | 2 | 3 |
Snow in Harbin
Average snowy days through the year, the snow-season span, and estimated snowfall — for ski trips and the perennial 'will there be snow at Christmas?' question.
Harbin averages about 13 snowy days a year. Snow season runs roughly Oct 16 to Apr 18 — about 6.1 months.
November is snowiest, with roughly 3 days of snow and an estimated 15 cm of snowfall. Over the year that adds up to an estimated 55 cm of snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow days | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| Snowfall (cm) | 5 | 8 | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 10 |
| Snow days | Snowfall (cm) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2 | 5 |
| Feb | 2 | 8 |
| Mar | 3 | 12 |
| Apr | 1 | 3 |
| May | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 1 | 2 |
| Nov | 3 | 15 |
| Dec | 3 | 10 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Harbin, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows moderate seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around August 28 and lasts for 6.4 months, ending around March 10. The clearest month is December, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 64% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around March 23 and lasts for 5.2 months, ending around August 27. The cloudiest month is July, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 58% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 61 | 56 | 53 | 46 | 43 | 43 | 42 | 47 | 58 | 64 | 59 | 64 |
| Cloudier (%) | 39 | 44 | 47 | 54 | 57 | 57 | 58 | 53 | 42 | 36 | 41 | 36 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 61 | 39 |
| Feb | 56 | 44 |
| Mar | 53 | 47 |
| Apr | 46 | 54 |
| May | 43 | 57 |
| Jun | 43 | 57 |
| Jul | 42 | 58 |
| Aug | 47 | 53 |
| Sep | 58 | 42 |
| Oct | 64 | 36 |
| Nov | 59 | 41 |
| Dec | 64 | 36 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 12, brings about 15 h 30 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 8 h 30 min — a swing of roughly 7 hours.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 8.9 | 10.1 | 11.6 | 13.3 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.3 | 10.7 | 9.3 | 8.5 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 7:17 | 6:46 | 5:55 | 4:55 | 4:08 | 3:49 | 4:03 | 4:39 | 5:18 | 5:58 | 6:42 | 7:15 |
| Sunset (PM) | 4:08 | 4:50 | 5:31 | 6:12 | 6:51 | 7:19 | 7:15 | 6:36 | 5:37 | 4:39 | 3:55 | 3:45 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 8.9 | 7:17 | 4:08 |
| Feb | 10.1 | 6:46 | 4:50 |
| Mar | 11.6 | 5:55 | 5:31 |
| Apr | 13.3 | 4:55 | 6:12 |
| May | 14.7 | 4:08 | 6:51 |
| Jun | 15.4 | 3:49 | 7:19 |
| Jul | 15.1 | 4:03 | 7:15 |
| Aug | 13.9 | 4:39 | 6:36 |
| Sep | 12.3 | 5:18 | 5:37 |
| Oct | 10.7 | 5:58 | 4:39 |
| Nov | 9.3 | 6:42 | 3:55 |
| Dec | 8.5 | 7:15 | 3:45 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Harbin averages about 11 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 7 and 16 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 6.2 months, from around Aug 28 to Mar 4. The sunniest month is December, with roughly 16 sunny days (bright).
The greyest month is July, down near 7 sunny days — about 52% fewer than the December peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 15 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 15 | 13 | 16 |
| Sky | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Gloomy | Mixed | Gloomy | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Mixed | Bright |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 15 | Mixed |
| Feb | 12 | Mixed |
| Mar | 11 | Mixed |
| Apr | 8 | Mixed |
| May | 8 | Gloomy |
| Jun | 8 | Mixed |
| Jul | 8 | Gloomy |
| Aug | 9 | Mixed |
| Sep | 13 | Mixed |
| Oct | 15 | Mixed |
| Nov | 13 | Mixed |
| Dec | 16 | Bright |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Harbin, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.
The more humid part of the year lasts 3.0 months, from around June 10 to September 9. The muggiest month is July, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 86% of the time.
The most comfortable stretch runs from around September 10 to June 9, and May is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 99% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 96 | 41 | 4 | 11 | 74 | 99 | 100 | 100 |
| Comfortable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 26 | 10 | 18 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Humid (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 24 | 29 | 30 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Muggy (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 42 | 31 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oppressive (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Miserable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | Humid (%) | Muggy (%) | Oppressive (%) | Miserable (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 96 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 41 | 26 | 24 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 4 | 10 | 29 | 42 | 14 | 1 |
| Aug | 11 | 18 | 30 | 31 | 10 | 1 |
| Sep | 74 | 14 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 99 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in Harbin is typically light breeze, near 13 km/h, and varies little with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 3.6 months, from around Feb 20 to Jun 8. The windiest month is April, averaging about 15 km/h (light breeze).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Jun 9 to Sep 22, with August the calmest month at about 11 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 13 | 14 | 13 | 12 |
| Feels | calm | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | calm | calm | light breeze | light breeze | light breeze | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 12 | calm |
| Feb | 13 | light breeze |
| Mar | 14 | light breeze |
| Apr | 15 | light breeze |
| May | 15 | light breeze |
| Jun | 12 | light breeze |
| Jul | 11 | calm |
| Aug | 11 | calm |
| Sep | 13 | light breeze |
| Oct | 14 | light breeze |
| Nov | 13 | light breeze |
| Dec | 12 | calm |
Hazard calendar for Harbin
When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.
Harbin's rainy season runs June–August, when most of the year's rain falls.
Best time to visit Harbin
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Harbin throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around early July, Harbin is still near the tail of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds already thinning.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Harbin for general outdoor tourist activities is from late April to early October, with a peak score in the second week of September.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.3 | 3.9 | 6.5 | 6.2 | 5.7 | 6.2 | 6.8 | 3.7 | 0.1 | 0.0 |
| Rating | poor | poor | poor | fair | good | good | good | good | good | fair | poor | poor |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.0 | poor |
| Feb | 0.0 | poor |
| Mar | 0.3 | poor |
| Apr | 3.9 | fair |
| May | 6.5 | good |
| Jun | 6.2 | good |
| Jul | 5.7 | good |
| Aug | 6.2 | good |
| Sep | 6.8 | good |
| Oct | 3.7 | fair |
| Nov | 0.1 | poor |
| Dec | 0.0 | poor |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Harbin for hot-weather activities is from late May to mid September, with a peak score in the second week of July.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Harbin, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around July (highs near 28°C), the essentials are light clothes, rain gear and sun protection. In the cold season around January (highs near -13°C), pack a warm layer and a heavy coat.
In July, Harbin sees daytime highs around 28°C and nights near 19°C. Pack light clothes and rain gear. Worth having: sun protection. About 15 days see rain.
UV index (midday) in Harbin by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Harbin peaks around August 16 at about 7 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 1 (low).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 6 months of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| Level | Low | Low | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | High | High | Very high | High | Moderate | Low | Low |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1 | Low |
| Feb | 2 | Low |
| Mar | 3 | Moderate |
| Apr | 4 | Moderate |
| May | 5 | Moderate |
| Jun | 6 | High |
| Jul | 6 | High |
| Aug | 7 | Very high |
| Sep | 5 | High |
| Oct | 3 | Moderate |
| Nov | 1 | Low |
| Dec | 1 | Low |
Average hourly UV index in Harbin
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in August the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 7 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 3 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 5.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | 0 |
| Feb | 0 | 0 |
| Mar | 0 | 0 |
| Apr | 5 | 0 |
| May | 6 | 0 |
| Jun | 7 | 1 |
| Jul | 7 | 0 |
| Aug | 7 | 3 |
| Sep | 5.5 | 0 |
| Oct | 0 | 0 |
| Nov | 0 | 0 |
| Dec | 0 | 0 |
Air quality in Harbin by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in Harbin is worst in January — around 62 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), about 2.1× the cleanest month (August, 29 µg/m³).
Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Harbin's WHO annual average of 43.2 µg/m³.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 62 | 58 | 58 | 45 | 33 | 33 | 33 | 29 | 32 | 37 | 46 | 51 |
| Level | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Poor | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Poor | Poor | Poor |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 62 | Unhealthy |
| Feb | 58 | Unhealthy |
| Mar | 58 | Unhealthy |
| Apr | 45 | Poor |
| May | 33 | Moderate |
| Jun | 33 | Moderate |
| Jul | 33 | Moderate |
| Aug | 29 | Moderate |
| Sep | 32 | Moderate |
| Oct | 37 | Poor |
| Nov | 46 | Poor |
| Dec | 51 | Poor |
Growing season
The growing season in Harbin typically lasts about 192 days, from around April 12 to October 20 — the span where a frost-free day is more likely than not. It is reliably frost-free from April 29 to October 4.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 0 | 0 | 8 | 61 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 99 | 61 | 5 | 0 |
| Frost nights | 31 | 28 | 31 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 30 | 31 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0 | 31 |
| Feb | 0 | 28 |
| Mar | 8 | 31 |
| Apr | 61 | 27 |
| May | 99 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 99 | 0 |
| Oct | 61 | 26 |
| Nov | 5 | 30 |
| Dec | 0 | 31 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Harbin banks about 1,427 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around July.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 158 | 326 | 413 | 358 | 163 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 0 |
| Feb | 0 |
| Mar | 0 |
| Apr | 4 |
| May | 158 |
| Jun | 326 |
| Jul | 413 |
| Aug | 358 |
| Sep | 163 |
| Oct | 5 |
| Nov | 0 |
| Dec | 0 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Harbin receives about 4.0 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — moderate — with a clear seasonal swing between 1.7 and 6.0 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.7 months, from around Mar 4 to Sep 23. The brightest month is June, averaging about 5.9 kWh/m² (bright).
The dimmest month is December, down near 1.7 kWh/m² — roughly 71% less than the June peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 2.1 | 3.2 | 4.5 | 5.3 | 5.7 | 5.9 | 5.2 | 4.7 | 4.2 | 3.0 | 2.1 | 1.7 |
| Level | Moderate | Moderate | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Bright | Moderate | Moderate | Dim |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2.1 | Moderate |
| Feb | 3.2 | Moderate |
| Mar | 4.5 | Bright |
| Apr | 5.3 | Bright |
| May | 5.7 | Bright |
| Jun | 5.9 | Bright |
| Jul | 5.2 | Bright |
| Aug | 4.7 | Bright |
| Sep | 4.2 | Bright |
| Oct | 3.0 | Moderate |
| Nov | 2.1 | Moderate |
| Dec | 1.7 | Dim |
Where is Harbin?
Harbin sits at 45.8°N, 126.7°E, 140 m above sea level, in China. The nearest listed city is Hainan, 167 km away.
What Harbin looks like
Topography around Harbin
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Harbin.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Harbin has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 45 m around an average of 139 m above sea level; within 16 km, only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 95 m; within 80 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 727 m.
The land around Harbin is covered by artificial surfaces (91%) within 3 km, artificial surfaces (44%) and cropland (24%) within 16 km, and cropland (76%) within 80 km.
China travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 2
- Exercise Increased Caution
- Power plugs
- Type A / I
- 220 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 47% of US
- price level, 2025
- GDP per capita
- $13,862
- 2025
- Happiness
- 6.1 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Homicide rate
- 0.5
- per 100k, 2020
- Road deaths
- 17.4
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Upper middle
- World Bank
- English
- Low
- EF EPI 464
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Harbin (45.75°, 126.65°, elevation 140 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).