Zaysan weather in January

In January, Zaysan sees average daytime highs of -10°C and overnight lows near -18°C, with 15 mm of precipitation across 4.7 wet days and about 8.7 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near -10°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 42% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 8 h 18 min at the start of January to 9 h 12 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Zaysan's 6th-clearest and 11th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Zaysan's year-round climate.

Daytime high
-10°
12th warmest
Overnight low
-18°
1st coldest
Precipitation
15 mm
4.7 wet days
Daylight
8 h 36 min
8:10 AM – 4:49 PM
Cloud cover
51%
6th clearest
Wind
6 km/h
11th windiest
Solar energy
1.83 kWh/m²
Travel score
0.0
out of 10

Zaysan is place in East Kazakhstan Region, Kazakhstan.

Founded
1868

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

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near -10°C through the month.

A typical January day in Zaysan reaches about -10°C in the afternoon and slips back to -18°C overnight — a 8°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between -18°C and -4°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 3°C cooler than December and about 3°C cooler than February.

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

How January really feels in Zaysan

Once humidity and wind are folded in, January 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 January is cold — wind chill drags the overnight "feels like" below the raw low.

Zaysan weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan-10° / -18°154.75.58.70.0
Feb-7° / -17°144.54.99.90.0
Mar / -9°266.54.911.60.2
Apr14° / 408.42.213.34.1
May20° / 408.20.514.96.8
Jun25° / 13°387.9015.77.1
Jul27° / 15°4210.2015.46.6
Aug26° / 13°367.6014.17.5
Sep20° / 357.40.412.47.0
Oct12° / 376.92.510.63.6
Nov / -8°358.16.89.10.1
Dec-7° / -16°206.16.88.30.0

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 42% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 47%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
15149
25149
35149
45149
55050
65050
75050
85050
95050
105050
115050
125050
135050
145149
155149
165149
175347
185446
195545
205644
215644
225743
235842
245842
255842
265842
275842
285743
295743
305644
315644

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Zaysan gets around 15 mm of rain and snow over 4.7 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 15% and peaks near 19% on the wettest days, and about 6 days bring snow. The odds ease toward the end of the month.

0%10%20%30%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
11923
21923
31922
41922
51822
61822
71822
81821
91821
101721
111720
121720
131720
141719
151619
161619
171618
181518
191517
201517
211416
221316
231315
241214
251214
261214
271213
281213
291213
301213
311214

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January 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 January

Winds average 6 km/h in January.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 6 km/h on the calmest days to 7 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0246810151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
16calm
26calm
36calm
46calm
56calm
66calm
76calm
86calm
96calm
106calm
116calm
126calm
136calm
146calm
156calm
166calm
176calm
186calm
196calm
206calm
216calm
226calm
236calm
246calm
256calm
266calm
276calm
286calm
296calm
306calm
317calm

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 8 h 18 min at the start of January to 9 h 12 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 54 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 8:14 AM to 7:57 AM, and sunset from 4:33 PM to 5:10 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
18.38:144:33
28.38:144:34
38.38:144:35
48.48:144:36
58.48:144:37
68.48:144:38
78.48:144:39
88.48:144:40
98.58:134:41
108.58:134:42
118.58:134:43
128.58:124:44
138.68:124:45
148.68:124:47
158.68:114:48
168.68:104:49
178.78:104:50
188.78:094:52
198.78:084:53
208.88:084:54
218.88:074:56
228.98:064:57
238.98:054:59
248.98:045:00
259.08:045:02
269.08:035:03
279.08:025:04
289.18:015:06
299.18:005:07
309.27:585:09
319.27:575:10

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 1.83 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 1.42 kWh/m² to a high of 6.79 kWh/m² in June across the year — January's 1.83 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
11.5Dim
21.5Dim
31.5Dim
41.5Dim
51.6Dim
61.6Dim
71.6Dim
81.6Dim
91.6Dim
101.6Dim
111.7Dim
121.7Dim
131.7Dim
141.7Dim
151.8Dim
161.8Dim
171.8Dim
181.9Dim
191.9Dim
201.9Dim
212.0Dim
222.0Moderate
232.0Moderate
242.1Moderate
252.1Moderate
262.1Moderate
272.2Moderate
282.2Moderate
292.2Moderate
302.3Moderate
312.3Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Is January a good time to visit Zaysan?

Our two travel scores rate January 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
8th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Zaysan.

What to pack for Zaysan in January

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

In January, Zaysan sees daytime highs around -10°C and nights near -18°C. Pack a warm layer and a heavy coat. About 5 days see rain.

a warm layera heavy coat

UV index in Zaysan in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

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

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Zaysan peaks around July 20 at about 8 (very high) — sunscreen and a hat are worth it in the middle of the day. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 1 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 7 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecLowModerateHighVery highModerateLowJul 20UV 8Dec 22UV 1
UV index (midday)Level
Jan1Low
Feb2Low
Mar3Moderate
Apr5Moderate
May8Very high
Jun6High
Jul8Very high
Aug7Very high
Sep5Moderate
Oct3Moderate
Nov2Low
Dec1Low

Air quality in Zaysan in January

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Zaysan is worst in February — around 15 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.8× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

01020JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateGoodFeb 2115 µg/m³Dec 148 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan11Good
Feb15Moderate
Mar15Moderate
Apr15Moderate
May12Moderate
Jun11Good
Jul11Good
Aug9Good
Sep11Good
Oct12Good
Nov10Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Zaysan?

Zaysan sits at 47.5°N, 84.9°E, 635 m above sea level, in Kazakhstan. The nearest listed city is Maqanshy, 229 km away.

MaqanshyAltayKalbatauUst-KamenogorskRidderAyagozShemonaikha

Topography around Zaysan

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Zaysan has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 328 m around an average of 643 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,498 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,412 m.

The land around Zaysan is covered by grassland (77%) within 3 km, grassland (91%) within 16 km, and grassland (81%) within 80 km.

3 km
328 m
16 km
1,498 m
80 km
3,412 m
treesshrubsgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetlandmoss and lichen
January weather nearby: Maqanshy 229 km · Altay 256 km · Kalbatau 320 km · Ust-Kamenogorsk 324 km · Ridder 335 km · Ayagoz 336 km · Ölgii 412 km · Shemonaikha 412 km

Kazakhstan travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type C / F
230 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 33% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$14,692
2025
Happiness
6.6 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
92%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
2.6
per 100k, 2022
Road deaths
12.7
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 417
Religion
Muslim 69%Christian 17%non-believers 2%Buddhism 0%

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 Zaysan (47.4666°, 84.8714°, elevation 635 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).