Shangri-La in Spring
In spring (March, April and May), Shangri-La sees average daytime highs around 9°C and overnight lows near 0°C, with 228 mm of precipitation over about 43 wet days across the season. It is the 3rd-warmest season and the 3rd-wettest season.
Over the season highs climb from about 3°C in early March to 16°C by late May. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 18% of the time across spring, and the air most often feels dry.
Spring is Shangri-La's 3rd-best season to visit on our travel score. For the whole year in context, see Shangri-La's year-round climate.
- Avg daytime high
- 9°C
- 3rd-warmest season
- Avg overnight low
- 0°C
- Precipitation
- 228 mm
- 43 wet days
- Avg wind
- 7 km/h
- Travel score
- 1.8
- 3rd-best season
- Months
- Mar · Apr · May
Temperature in Shangri-La in Spring
Over the season highs climb from about 3°C in early March to 16°C by late May.
A typical spring day in Shangri-La reaches about 9°C and drops to 0°C overnight. The warmest of the three months is May, the coolest March.
How spring really feels in Shangri-La
Once humidity and wind are folded in, spring brings about 0 days that feel above 32°C and 57 that feel at or below 0°C.
The story in spring is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.
Shangri-La weather by month
How the three spring months (March, April and May) compare with the rest of the year — the season's months are highlighted.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 2° / -9° | 33 | 6.2 | 7.8 | 10.4 | 0.0 |
| Feb | 2° / -8° | 42 | 7.7 | 9.9 | 11 | 0.0 |
| Mar | 5° / -4° | 63 | 11.7 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 0.2 |
| Apr | 10° / 0° | 66 | 14.4 | 4.5 | 12.6 | 1.8 |
| May | 14° / 5° | 99 | 17 | 0.9 | 13.4 | 3.3 |
| Jun | 17° / 9° | 147 | 22.4 | 0 | 13.7 | 3.5 |
| Jul | 17° / 10° | 248 | 28.9 | 0 | 13.6 | 2.9 |
| Aug | 17° / 9° | 239 | 28.9 | 0 | 13 | 2.9 |
| Sep | 15° / 8° | 150 | 23 | 0.2 | 12.2 | 3.1 |
| Oct | 12° / 3° | 67 | 12.8 | 1.1 | 11.3 | 3.1 |
| Nov | 8° / -3° | 23 | 5.4 | 2.6 | 10.6 | 1.7 |
| Dec | 5° / -6° | 12 | 2.8 | 3.1 | 10.3 | 0.2 |
Cloud cover in Spring
The sky is clear or mostly clear about 18% of the time across spring.
Chance of precipitation in Spring
Shangri-La gets around 228 mm of rain and snow over 43 wet days across spring. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.
Humidity in Spring
Most of spring feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.
Wind in Spring
Winds average 7 km/h across spring.
Sunrise & sunset in Spring
Daylight runs from about 11 h 24 min in early March to 13 h 36 min by late May. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.
Solar energy in Spring
Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day across spring, about 6.0 kWh/m².
Hazard calendar for Shangri-La
None of Shangri-La's seasonal hazards peak in spring. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do.
Shangri-La's monsoon runs June–September, when most of the year's rain falls.
Is spring a good time to visit Shangri-La?
Our two travel scores rate spring for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal), averaged across the three months.
spring is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Shangri-La.
What to pack for Shangri-La in Spring
From spring's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.
In spring, Shangri-La sees daytime highs around 9°C and nights near 0°C. Pack a warm layer, rain gear and sun protection. Worth having: a heavy coat. About 43 days see rain.
UV index in Shangri-La in Spring
Clear-sky midday UV across spring averages around 12 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Shangri-La peaks around July 10 at about 16 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 23 at about 5 (high).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 5 | 8 | 12 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 5 |
| Level | High | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | Very high | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 5 | High |
| Feb | 8 | Very high |
| Mar | 12 | Extreme |
| Apr | 11 | Extreme |
| May | 13 | Extreme |
| Jun | 16 | Extreme |
| Jul | 16 | Extreme |
| Aug | 14 | Extreme |
| Sep | 13 | Extreme |
| Oct | 10 | Very high |
| Nov | 7 | Very high |
| Dec | 5 | Moderate |
Where is Shangri-La?
Shangri-La sits at 27.8°N, 99.7°E, 3,283 m above sea level, in China. The nearest listed city is Lijiang, 118 km away.
Topography around Shangri-La
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Shangri-La.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Shangri-La has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 384 m around an average of 3,317 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,268 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,874 m.
The land around Shangri-La is covered by grassland (30%) and artificial surfaces (29%) within 3 km, trees (69%) and grassland (23%) within 16 km, and trees (78%) 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 Shangri-La (27.8251°, 99.7078°, elevation 3,283 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.