Sơn La weather in February

In February, Sơn La sees average daytime highs of 23°C and overnight lows near 13°C, with 19 mm of rain across 3.6 wet days and about 11.3 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 12th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 22°C in the first days to 25°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in February, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 11 hours at the start of February to 11 h 30 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, February is Sơn La's 2nd-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Sơn La's year-round climate.

Daytime high
23°
10th warmest
Overnight low
13°
3rd coldest
Rainfall
19 mm
3.6 wet days
Daylight
11 h 18 min
6:41 AM – 5:57 PM
Cloud cover
52%
2nd clearest
Wind
6 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
3.91 kWh/m²
Travel score
7.9
out of 10

Sơn La is the old provincial capital of Son La province, Vietnam.

Density
328/km²
people per km²

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

Temperature in February

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 22°C in the first days to 25°C by the end.

A typical February day in Sơn La reaches about 23°C in the afternoon and slips back to 13°C overnight — a 10°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 16°C and 30°C. Set against its neighbours, February runs about 2°C warmer than January and about 3°C cooler than March.

10°20°30°151015202528
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
12112
22212
32212
42212
52212
62212
72212
82312
92313
102313
112313
122313
132313
142313
152413
162413
172413
182413
192414
202414
212414
222414
232514
242514
252514
262514
272514
282514

How February really feels in Sơn La

Once humidity and wind are folded in, February averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 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
0
wind chill below the day's low

February sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Sơn La weather by month

How February compares with the rest of the year at a glance. February is the 10th-warmest and 12th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan21° / 12°24410.87.3
Feb23° / 13°193.611.37.9
Mar27° / 16°507.111.87.1
Apr29° / 19°7212.812.55.2
May30° / 22°14719.3133.7
Jun30° / 23°2092313.33.2
Jul29° / 23°28824.513.23.4
Aug29° / 22°28325.312.73.4
Sep29° / 21°15017.512.14.4
Oct27° / 19°498.311.56.6
Nov25° / 16°274.5117.8
Dec22° / 12°233.610.77.6

Cloud cover in February

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 39% of the time in February.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 19% of February, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 42%. Skies tend to open up as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202528
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14951
25050
35050
45149
55248
65347
75446
85545
95545
105644
115743
125743
135842
145842
155842
165941
176040
186040
196040
206139
216238
226238
236238
246337
256337
266535
276535
286634

Chance of precipitation in February

Any precipitation

Sơn La gets around 19 mm of rain over 3.6 wet days in February, the driest month. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 13% and peaks near 14% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%151015202528
Rain chance (%)
114
214
313
413
513
613
713
813
913
1013
1113
1213
1313
1413
1513
1613
1713
1813
1913
2014
2114
2214
2314
2414
2513
2613
2713
2813

Humidity in February

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, February lands in the dry band about 48% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202528
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1603370
2603370
3593470
4573580
5573580
6563680
7553690
85436100
95336110
105236111
115136121
125036131
134936141
144736151
154636161
164537171
174437181
184337191
194237202
204136212
214036212
224036222
233936223
243936233
253835233
263835243
273735253
283735254

Wind in February

Winds average 6 km/h in February, the windiest month of the year.

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

0246810151015202528
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

Sunrise & sunset in February

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 11 hours at the start of February to 11 h 30 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 30 minutes over February. Sunrise moves from 6:47 AM to 6:32 AM, and sunset from 5:49 PM to 6:03 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202528
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
111.06:475:49
211.16:465:50
311.16:465:50
411.16:465:51
511.16:455:51
611.16:455:52
711.16:455:53
811.16:445:53
911.26:445:54
1011.26:435:54
1111.26:435:55
1211.26:425:55
1311.26:425:56
1411.36:415:57
1511.36:415:57
1611.36:405:58
1711.36:405:58
1811.36:395:59
1911.36:385:59
2011.46:386:00
2111.46:376:00
2211.46:366:01
2311.46:366:01
2411.46:356:02
2511.56:346:02
2611.56:346:02
2711.56:336:03
2811.56:326:03

Solar energy in February

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in February, about 3.91 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 3.14 kWh/m² to a high of 5.26 kWh/m² in April across the year — February's 3.91 kWh/m² falls in the middle.

012345151015202528
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
13.4Moderate
23.5Moderate
33.5Moderate
43.5Moderate
53.6Moderate
63.6Moderate
73.7Moderate
83.7Moderate
93.8Moderate
103.8Moderate
113.8Moderate
123.9Moderate
133.9Moderate
143.9Moderate
154.0Moderate
164.0Moderate
174.0Bright
184.0Bright
194.1Bright
204.1Bright
214.1Bright
224.2Bright
234.2Bright
244.2Bright
254.3Bright
264.3Bright
274.3Bright
284.4Bright
Planning a trip in February

Hazard calendar for Sơn La

In seasonPeak

None of Sơn La's seasonal hazards are active in February. The full-year calendar below shows when the rainy season, cyclone risk and dust haze do peak.

Sơn La's monsoon runs May–September, when most of the year's rain falls.

Monsoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is February a good time to visit Sơn La?

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

7.9
Sightseeing
1st-best month of the year
6.3
Beach & pool
5th-best month of the year

February is one of the better times to visit Sơn La for general sightseeing. The water and warmth also suit a beach or pool day.

What to pack for Sơn La in February

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

In February, Sơn La sees daytime highs around 23°C and nights near 13°C. Worth packing: light clothes. About 4 days see rain.

light clothes

UV index in Sơn La in February

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in February peaks around 9 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Sơn La peaks around June 20 at about 13 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 18 at about 6 (high).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecVery highExtremeVery highExtremeVery highHighJun 20UV 13Dec 18UV 6
UV index (midday)Level
Jan7Very high
Feb9Very high
Mar11Extreme
Apr9Very high
May11Extreme
Jun14Extreme
Jul13Extreme
Aug13Extreme
Sep9Very high
Oct9Very high
Nov8Very high
Dec6High

Air quality in Sơn La in February

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Sơn La is worst in April — around 151 µg/m³ PM2.5 (very unhealthy), about 12.9× the cleanest month (August, 12 µg/m³).

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

0306090120150JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModeratePoorUnhealthyModerateGoodModerateApr 16140 µg/m³Aug 912 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan32Moderate
Feb38Poor
Mar67Unhealthy
Apr151Very unhealthy
May58Unhealthy
Jun14Moderate
Jul12Good
Aug12Good
Sep16Moderate
Oct23Moderate
Nov26Moderate
Dec31Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Sơn La?

Sơn La sits at 21.3°N, 103.9°E, 608 m above sea level, in Vietnam. The nearest listed city is Ít Ong, 24 km away.

Dien Bien PhuXam NuaVieng XaiMường LayYên Bái

Topography around Sơn La

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Sơn La has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 348 m around an average of 674 m above sea level; within 16 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,404 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 2,830 m.

The land around Sơn La is covered by trees (59%) within 3 km, trees (69%) and grassland (21%) within 16 km, and trees (68%) and grassland (27%) within 80 km.

3 km
348 m
16 km
1,404 m
80 km
2,830 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
February weather nearby: Ít Ong 24 km · Thị Trấn Thuận Châu 27 km · Nghĩa Lộ 69 km · Dien Bien Phu 93 km · Xam Nua 102 km · Vieng Xai 107 km · Mường Lay 111 km · Yên Bái 112 km

Vietnam travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B / C / F
220 V · 50 Hz
Prices
≈ 29% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$5,066
2025
Happiness
6.4 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
59%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
1.5
per 100k, 2011
Road deaths
30.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
Upper middle
World Bank
English
Moderate
EF EPI 500
Religion
none 86%Catholic 6%Buddhist 6%Protestant 1%

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 Sơn La (21.3256°, 103.9188°, elevation 608 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).