Climate and average weather in T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp

In T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp, the summers are humid, warm, showery, and partly cloudy and the winters are very cold, breezy, snowy, and mostly clear.

Best: mid May to late October

Over the course of the year, the temperature in T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp typically varies from -2°C to 25°C, and is rarely below -8°C or above 28°C. August is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.

Based on the travel score, the best time of year to visit T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp for warm-weather activities is from mid May to late October.

Hottest
Aug
25°
Coldest
Jan
-2°
Wettest
Jul
223 mm
Driest
Feb
34 mm
Rain / yr
1164 mm
98 wet days
Daylight
9.3–14.7 h
shortest–longest
Elevation
6 m
39.0°N
Clearest
Dec
36% cloud

T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp 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 mid May to late October.

Temperature through the year

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Daily average highs and lows in T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.

The hot season lasts 3.7 months, from June 11 to September 30, with daily high temperatures above 19°C. The hottest month of the year in T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp is August, with an average high of 25°C and low of 22°C.

The cool season lasts 3.3 months, from December 4 to March 14, with daily high temperatures below 6°C. The coldest month of the year in T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp is January, with an average low of -2°C and high of 2°C.

Days typically run about 3°C warmer than nights year-round.

-10°10°20°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
Jan2-2
Feb3-1
Mar73
Apr117
May1612
Jun2017
Jul2421
Aug2522
Sep2119
Oct1714
Nov107
Dec51

How hot and cold T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp really feels

Feels-like highFeels-like lowactual air temp

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 -8°C (around January 25), with roughly 117 freezing days a year (feels-like at or below 0°C), worst in January.

-10°10°20°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Feels-like high (°C)Air high (°C)Feels-like low (°C)Air low (°C)
Jan22-8-2
Feb33-6-1
Mar67-13
Apr111147
May16161212
Jun20201717
Jul24242121
Aug25252222
Sep21211919
Oct17171414
Nov101037
Dec45-51

Average hourly temperature in T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp

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 August afternoons, near 25°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near -2°C.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AM

T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp weather by month

Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / -2°415.84.99.60.0
Feb / -1°3453.910.50.0
Mar / 446.62.911.70.8
Apr11° / 656.80.3133.2
May16° / 12°998014.15.4
Jun20° / 17°959.1014.76.4
Jul24° / 21°22313.1014.56.2
Aug25° / 22°22213.8013.56.3
Sep21° / 19°1449.3012.36.7
Oct17° / 14°747.20115.9
Nov10° / 807.90.59.92.7
Dec / 445.62.79.30.1

Chance of rain

How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.

T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp gets about 1164 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 3.6 months, from around Jun 11 to Sep 29, peaking in August at about 45% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Dec 26.

July is the wettest month by volume, with 223 mm over about 13 wet days; February is the driest, with 34 mm. Some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecdrierwetterdriermostly drysome rainoften wetvery wetAug 17 · 45%Dec 26 · 16%
Rain on a day (%)Rain days
Jan196
Feb195
Mar217
Apr237
May258
Jun309
Jul4213
Aug4414
Sep329
Oct237
Nov258
Dec196

Monthly rainfall

Over a full year, T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp collects about 1164 mm of rain across 98 wet days — roughly 97 mm in an average month.

It doesn’t fall evenly. July is the wettest month with 223 mm, while February is the driest at just 34 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 51% of the year’s total, and some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.

050100150200250JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec413444659995223222144748044
Rainfall (mm)Rain daysSnow days
Jan4165
Feb3454
Mar4473
Apr6570
May9980
Jun9590
Jul223130
Aug222140
Sep14490
Oct7470
Nov8081
Dec4463

Snow in T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp

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.

T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp averages about 15 snowy days a year. Snow season runs roughly Nov 16 to Apr 9 — about 4.8 months.

January is snowiest, with roughly 5 days of snow and an estimated 36 cm of snowfall. Over the year that adds up to an estimated 96 cm of snow.

02468JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecsnow seasonsnow seasonJan 18
Snow daysSnowfall (cm)
Jan536
Feb426
Mar312
Apr02
May00
Jun00
Jul00
Aug00
Sep00
Oct00
Nov13
Dec317

Clouds and sunshine

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.

In T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.

The clearer part of the year begins around October 1 and lasts for 6.7 months, ending around April 22. The clearest month is December, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 72% of the time on average.

The cloudier part of the year begins around April 23 and lasts for 5.3 months, ending around September 30. The cloudiest month is July, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 62% of the time.

0%100%10%90%20%80%30%70%40%60%50%50%60%40%70%30%80%20%90%10%100%0%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecDec 23 · 73%Jul 17 · 36%clearmostly clearpartly cloudymostly cloudyovercastclearercloudierclearer
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
Jan6931
Feb6733
Mar6238
Apr6040
May5545
Jun4951
Jul3862
Aug4456
Sep5248
Oct6634
Nov6634
Dec7228

Daylight, sunrise and sunset

DaylightNight

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 9, brings about 14 h 42 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 9 h 18 min — a swing of roughly 5 h 24 min.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AMJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
Jan9.67:515:24
Feb10.57:285:58
Mar11.76:486:29
Apr13.05:586:59
May14.15:217:28
Jun14.75:077:50
Jul14.55:207:49
Aug13.55:477:19
Sep12.36:156:30
Oct11.06:455:42
Nov9.97:195:09
Dec9.37:465:03

Sunny days

How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.

T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp averages about 14 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 7 and 19 days.

The sunnier stretch runs 6.6 months, from around Sep 29 to Apr 16. The sunniest month is December, with roughly 19 sunny days (bright).

The greyest month is July, down near 8 sunny days — about 58% fewer than the December peak.

0510152025JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecsunniergreyersunniergloomymixedbrightbrilliantDec 1919 daysJul 137 days
Sunny daysSky
Jan18Bright
Feb15Bright
Mar16Bright
Apr14Mixed
May13Mixed
Jun10Mixed
Jul8Gloomy
Aug9Mixed
Sep12Mixed
Oct17Bright
Nov17Bright
Dec19Bright

Humidity comfort

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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 T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp, how humid it feels changes dramatically over the year.

The more humid part of the year lasts 3.7 months, from around June 8 to September 28. The muggiest month is August, when the air feels humid, muggy or worse about 97% of the time.

The most comfortable stretch runs from around September 29 to June 7, and April is the most comfortable month — the air is dry or comfortable 100% of the time.

0%10%20%30%40%50%60%70%80%90%100%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecApr 24 · 100%Aug 6 · 0%miserableoppressivemuggyhumiddrycomfortablecomfortablehumidcomfortable
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)Oppressive (%)Miserable (%)
Jan10000000
Feb10000000
Mar10000000
Apr10000000
May84151000
Jun1335361510
Jul031945302
Aug021335446
Sep1627312150
Oct75196000
Nov9910000
Dec10000000

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 T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp is typically light breeze, near 17 km/h, and varies moderately with the seasons.

The windier part of the year lasts 6.3 months, from around Oct 20 to Apr 28. The windiest month is December, averaging about 21 km/h (breezy).

The calmer part of the year runs from around Apr 29 to Oct 19, with June the calmest month at about 13 km/h.

0510152025JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecwindiercalmerwindiercalmlight breezebreezyDec 14 · 22 km/hJun 18 · 13 km/h
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
Jan21breezy
Feb19light breeze
Mar18light breeze
Apr17light breeze
May15light breeze
Jun13light breeze
Jul13light breeze
Aug13light breeze
Sep14light breeze
Oct16light breeze
Nov20light breeze
Dec21breezy

Hazard calendar for T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp

In seasonPeak

When the seasonal hazards worth planning around — the rainy season, tropical-cyclone risk and dust haze — are active through the year.

T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.

T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp's rainy season runs July–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Pacific typhoon
Rainy season
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Best time to visit T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp

TravelBeach/poolTemperatureCloudsPrecipitation

To characterize how pleasant the weather is in T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.

Around late May, T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.

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 T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp for general outdoor tourist activities is from mid May to late October, with a peak score in the second week of September.

0246810JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbest timetravel scoretemperaturecloudsprecipitationSep 8 · 6.7

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).

Travel score (0–10)Rating
Jan0.0poor
Feb0.0poor
Mar0.8poor
Apr3.2poor
May5.4fair
Jun6.4good
Jul6.2good
Aug6.3good
Sep6.6good
Oct5.9good
Nov2.7poor
Dec0.2poor

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 T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp for hot-weather activities is from early July to mid September, with a peak score in the first week of August.

024681012JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbest timebeach/pool scoretemperaturecloudsprecipitationAug 6 · 5.7

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 T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp, by month

EssentialRecommendedOptional

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 August (highs near 25°C), the essentials are light clothes and rain gear. In the cold season around January (highs near 2°C), pack a warm layer, a heavy coat and a windbreaker.

Light clothing
Warm layer
Winter coat
Rain gear
Sun protection
Windbreaker

In August, T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp sees daytime highs around 25°C and nights near 22°C. Worth packing: light clothes and rain gear. About 14 days see rain.

Sea temperature near T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp

Average ocean temperature at the nearest coast, month by month, banded into swim-comfort zones — the other half of the beach question.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 19 km away) is warmest in August at about 24°C and coldest in February near 4°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jul 2 to Sep 30 — about 3 months when the water holds above 20°C.

0°10°20°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan6Bracing
Feb4Bracing
Mar5Bracing
Apr9Bracing
May13Bracing
Jun18Cool
Jul22Refreshing
Aug24Warm
Sep22Refreshing
Oct18Cool
Nov13Bracing
Dec9Bracing

UV index (midday) in T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp by month

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

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 T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp peaks around August 17 at about 9 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 19 at about 2 (low).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 9 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highVery highHighModerateLowAug 17UV 9Dec 19UV 2
UV index (midday)Level
Jan2Low
Feb3Moderate
Mar4Moderate
Apr6High
May6High
Jun7Very high
Jul7High
Aug9Very high
Sep7Very high
Oct5Moderate
Nov2Moderate
Dec2Low

Average hourly UV index in T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

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 8 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec12 AM2 AM4 AM6 AM8 AM10 AM12 PM2 PM4 PM6 PM8 PM10 PM12 AM
UV ≥ 3 (h/day)UV ≥ 6 (h/day)
Jan00
Feb10
Mar40
Apr6.50
May6.50
Jun7.54
Jul7.53.5
Aug85
Sep6.53
Oct4.50
Nov00
Dec00

Air quality in T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp by month

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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 T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp is worst in March — around 44 µg/m³ PM2.5 (poor), about 2.9× the cleanest month (September, 15 µg/m³).

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

0204060JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorModerateMar 1944 µg/m³Sep 1016 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan33Moderate
Feb36Poor
Mar44Poor
Apr40Poor
May32Moderate
Jun22Moderate
Jul18Moderate
Aug16Moderate
Sep15Moderate
Oct22Moderate
Nov27Moderate
Dec27Moderate
Almanac & agriculture

Growing season

Chance of a frost-free dayTypical season (≥50%)

The growing season in T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp typically lasts about 302 days, from around February 22 to December 20 — the span where a frost-free day is more likely than not. It is reliably frost-free from March 18 to November 25.

0%25%50%75%100%JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecgrowing seasonFeb 2250%Mar 1890%Nov 2590%Dec 2050%
Frost-free chance (%)Frost nights
Jan2931
Feb4028
Mar8617
Apr1000
May1000
Jun1000
Jul1000
Aug1000
Sep1000
Oct1000
Nov956
Dec5731

Growing degree days

Degree days (base 10°C)Frost-free shaded

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. T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp banks about 1,669 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around August.

05001,0001,500JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Growing degree days (°C·days)
Jan0
Feb0
Mar0
Apr10
May130
Jun255
Jul384
Aug418
Sep302
Oct160
Nov10
Dec0

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.

T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp receives about 4.1 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 2.2 and 6.1 kWh/m².

The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.5 months, from around Mar 5 to Sep 17. The brightest month is May, averaging about 5.9 kWh/m² (bright).

The dimmest month is December, down near 2.3 kWh/m² — roughly 62% less than the May peak.

01234567JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecdimmerbrighterdimmerdimmoderatebrightintenseMay 316.1 kWhDec 72.2 kWh
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
Jan2.6Moderate
Feb3.5Moderate
Mar4.6Bright
Apr5.5Bright
May5.9Bright
Jun5.7Bright
Jul4.8Bright
Aug4.5Bright
Sep4.2Bright
Oct3.5Moderate
Nov2.5Moderate
Dec2.2Moderate

Where is T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp?

T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp sits at 39.0°N, 127.9°E, 6 m above sea level, in North Korea. The nearest listed city is Anbyŏn-ŭp, 33 km away.

HoeyangKosanWŏnsanKowŏn-ŭpKosongYangguHwacheon

Topography around T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp.

Within 3 km, the terrain around T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 168 m around an average of 12 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,075 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,642 m.

The land around T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp is covered by water (41%) and cropland (37%) within 3 km, water (48%) and trees (32%) within 16 km, and trees (48%) and water (35%) within 80 km.

3 km
168 m
16 km
1,075 m
80 km
1,642 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwaterwetland
Nearby: Anbyŏn-ŭp 33 km · Hoeyang 37 km · Kosan 42 km · Wŏnsan 45 km · Kowŏn-ŭp 78 km · Kosong 81 km · Yanggu 95 km · Hwacheon 96 km

North Korea travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 4
Do Not Travel
Power plugs
Type C / F
220 V · 50 Hz
Safe drinking water
67%
of population, 2023
Road deaths
24.2
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Low
World Bank

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 T’ongch’ŏn-ŭp (38.9539°, 127.8917°, elevation 6 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. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. 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).