Urumqi weather in December

In December, Urumqi sees average daytime highs of -5°C and overnight lows near -13°C, with 13 mm of precipitation across 3.2 wet days and about 8.8 hours of daylight. It is the 11th-warmest and 10th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about -2°C in the first days to -6°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 hours at the start of December to 8 h 48 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Urumqi's 2nd-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Urumqi's year-round climate.

Daytime high
-5°
11th warmest
Overnight low
-13°
2nd coldest
Precipitation
13 mm
3.2 wet days
Daylight
8 h 42 min
7:43 AM – 4:28 PM
Cloud cover
39%
2nd clearest
Wind
8 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
2.03 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Urumqi is capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China.

Air quality
Severe
PM2.5 65.7 µg/m³ · 2018
Density
220/km²
people per km²

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about -2°C in the first days to -6°C by the end.

A typical December day in Urumqi reaches about -5°C in the afternoon and slips back to -13°C overnight — a 9°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -11°C and 1°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 8°C cooler than November and about 2°C warmer than January.

-20°-10°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1-2-10
2-2-10
3-2-11
4-2-11
5-3-11
6-3-11
7-3-12
8-3-12
9-4-12
10-4-12
11-4-12
12-4-13
13-4-13
14-4-13
15-5-13
16-5-13
17-5-13
18-5-14
19-5-14
20-5-14
21-5-14
22-6-14
23-6-14
24-6-14
25-6-14
26-6-15
27-6-15
28-6-15
29-6-15
30-6-15
31-6-15

How December really feels in Urumqi

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 31 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
31
31 feel bitter (≤ -10°C)

The story in December is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Urumqi weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 11th-warmest and 10th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-7° / -16°72.32.89.10.0
Feb-3° / -12°1233.710.20.0
Mar / -4°255.44.111.60.9
Apr15° / 497.72.413.25.1
May21° / 10°547.90.614.56.8
Jun26° / 16°407015.27.1
Jul27° / 18°436.5014.96.9
Aug26° / 16°426.6013.87.3
Sep21° / 10°355.70.212.37.4
Oct13° / 345.92.610.84.4
Nov / -6°245.34.99.50.4
Dec-5° / -13°133.23.78.80.0

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 56% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 13% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 32%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16634
26634
36733
46832
56931
66931
76931
86931
97030
106931
116931
126931
136931
146931
156931
166832
176832
186832
196733
206733
216733
226733
236733
246733
256832
266832
276832
286931
296931
306931
316931

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitationSnow

Urumqi gets around 13 mm of rain and snow over 3.2 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 10% and peaks near 13% on the wettest days, and about 4 days bring snow.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
11314
21314
31214
41213
51213
61113
71112
81012
91012
101011
11911
12911
13911
14911
15911
16911
17911
181011
191011
201012
211012
221012
231112
241112
251112
261112
271112
281112
291011
301011
311011

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in December

Winds average 8 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 8 km/h on the calmest days to 8 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
18calm
28calm
38calm
48calm
58calm
68calm
78calm
88calm
98calm
108calm
118calm
128calm
138calm
148calm
158calm
168calm
178calm
188calm
198calm
208calm
218calm
228calm
238calm
248calm
258calm
268calm
278calm
288calm
298calm
308calm
318calm

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 hours at the start of December to 8 h 48 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 7:30 AM to 7:50 AM, and sunset from 4:29 PM to 4:36 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.07:304:29
29.07:314:28
38.97:324:28
48.97:334:28
58.97:344:28
68.97:354:27
78.97:364:27
88.87:374:27
98.87:384:27
108.87:394:27
118.87:404:27
128.87:404:27
138.87:414:28
148.87:424:28
158.87:434:28
168.77:434:28
178.77:444:28
188.77:454:29
198.77:454:29
208.77:464:29
218.77:464:30
228.77:474:30
238.77:474:31
248.77:484:31
258.77:484:32
268.77:484:32
278.77:494:33
288.77:494:34
298.87:494:34
308.87:494:35
318.87:504:36

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.03 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.03 kWh/m² to a high of 6.56 kWh/m² in June across the year — December's 2.03 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.1Moderate
22.1Moderate
32.1Moderate
42.1Moderate
52.1Moderate
62.1Moderate
72.1Moderate
82.1Moderate
92.0Moderate
102.0Moderate
112.0Moderate
122.0Moderate
132.0Moderate
142.0Moderate
152.0Moderate
162.0Moderate
172.0Moderate
182.0Moderate
192.0Moderate
202.0Moderate
212.0Moderate
222.0Moderate
232.0Moderate
242.0Moderate
252.0Moderate
262.0Moderate
272.0Moderate
282.1Moderate
292.1Moderate
302.1Moderate
312.1Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Is December a good time to visit Urumqi?

Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

0.0
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
9th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Urumqi.

What to pack for Urumqi in December

From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In December, Urumqi sees daytime highs around -5°C and nights near -13°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 3 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

UV index in Urumqi in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 1. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Urumqi peaks around July 19 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 10 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 8 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highHighModerateLowJul 19UV 9Jan 10UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar3Moderate
Apr5High
May7Very high
Jun7Very high
Jul9Very high
Aug8Very high
Sep6High
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Urumqi in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Urumqi is worst in March — around 77 µg/m³ PM2.5 (unhealthy), and holds fairly steady the rest of the year.

Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Urumqi's WHO annual average of 65.7 µg/m³.

020406080JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecUnhealthyUnhealthyPoorUnhealthyMar 1777 µg/m³Sep 2254 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan77Unhealthy
Feb73Unhealthy
Mar77Unhealthy
Apr73Unhealthy
May77Unhealthy
Jun61Unhealthy
Jul53Poor
Aug60Unhealthy
Sep54Poor
Oct55Poor
Nov59Unhealthy
Dec69Unhealthy
Location & terrain

Where is Urumqi?

Urumqi sits at 43.8°N, 87.6°E, 862 m above sea level, in China. The nearest listed city is Turpan, 159 km away.

ZaysanMaqanshyKhovdÖlgiiZharkentSarqantAltay

Topography around Urumqi

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Urumqi.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Urumqi has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 253 m around an average of 881 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,040 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,842 m.

The land around Urumqi is covered by artificial surfaces (79%) within 3 km, grassland (36%), artificial surfaces (32%) and bare terrain (24%) within 16 km, and grassland (43%) and bare terrain (30%) within 80 km.

3 km
253 m
16 km
1,040 m
80 km
4,842 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainsnow and icewatermoss and lichen
December weather nearby: Turpan 159 km · Zaysan 459 km · Maqanshy 548 km · Khovd 562 km · Ölgii 602 km · Zharkent 609 km · Sarqant 634 km · Altay 707 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
unaffiliated 52%folk religion 22%Buddhist 18%Christian 5%

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 Urumqi (43.801°, 87.6005°, elevation 862 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).