Climate ▸Forecast ▸January ▸March ▸
JanuaryFebruaryMarchAprilMayJuneJulyAugustSeptemberOctoberNovemberDecember

Weather in January in China

Are you planning a trip a to China in January and wondering what kind of weather to expect? This page has all the details you need.

What is the weather like in China in January?

In January, China experiences a range of weather conditions, with temperatures that range from very cold to warm and precipitation levels ranging from almost none to high. January falls during the winter season.

Temperatures

The average maximum daytime temperatures vary from very cold in Mohe at -19°C to warm in Jinghong at 26°C. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 11°C in Jinghong and -32°C in Mohe. Typically, it's the chilliest month of the year. Making it a great time for staying indoors and enjoying the warmth. Make sure you're prepared by packing the right winter outfits.

For a closer look at conditions across China, refer to the map below.

Precipitation

In January, precipitation varies across different areas. From almost no snowfall in Ejin with an average of 0.5 mm to high snowfall in Yongfu with 136 mm. Going by our weather data, this month in Beijing usually has the least rain, making it the driest month of the year.

Average sunshine

Beijing enjoys a balanced 186 hours of sunlight. Ensuring it's neither too overcast nor too sunny.

For a more detailed look at China's conditions throughout the year, check out our China climate page.

Where to go in China in January

Find more information for the most popular destinations in the China on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more details.

Map not visible? Whoops sorry! Please refresh the page.
MarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarkerMarker
Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor
Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C and 29°C and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm a month).

Select a Month of Interest

Check the conditions for any month of the year.

For a detailed overview over the year and the best time to visit China, check out our China's climate page.

Popular destinations

What is the weather like in January for the 5 most popular destinations in China?

Beijing

In January Beijing generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 3°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -8°C and almost no monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Beijing
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snow/rainfall precipitationSnow/rainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
20°C 
8°C 
2,500 hours 
560 mm 
73 days 
poor 
3°C 
-8°C 
186 hours 
4 mm 
2 days 
poor 
7°C 
-5°C 
188 hours 
7.3 mm 
3 days 
Climate in Beijing

Shanghai

In January Shanghai generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 9°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 3°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Shanghai
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
21°C 
15°C 
1,772 hours 
1347 mm 
148 days 
9°C 
3°C 
112 hours 
65 mm 
11 days 
poor 
11°C 
4°C 
117 hours 
71 mm 
12 days 
Climate in Shanghai

Guangzhou

In January Guangzhou generally has pleasant temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 20°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 12°C and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are perfect that month.

Guangzhou
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
28°C 
20°C 
1,629 hours 
2055 mm 
155 days 
20°C 
12°C 
120 hours 
49 mm 
9 days 
21°C 
13°C 
72 hours 
71 mm 
11 days 
Climate in Guangzhou

Chengdu

In January Chengdu generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 11°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 4°C and low monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are tolerable that month.

Chengdu
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
22°C 
14°C 
1,080 hours 
1175 mm 
160 days 
11°C 
4°C 
55 hours 
17 mm 
9 days 
14°C 
6°C 
51 hours 
21 mm 
9 days 
Climate in Chengdu

Xi'an

In January Xi'an generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 7°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around -3°C and low monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.

Xi'an
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly snow/rainfall precipitationSnow/rainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   Annual Annual
<<  
22°C 
10°C 
1,541 hours 
813 mm 
103 days 
poor 
7°C 
-3°C 
90 hours 
14 mm 
4 days 
12°C 
0°C 
97 hours 
22 mm 
5 days 
Climate in Xi'an

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in China.

Is January the best time to visit China?

In our view, January might not be the best time to travel to China with often poor weather in Beijing.

Generally speaking, April, September and October provide perfect weather in Beijing. On the other hand, the weather in January and December tend to be poor.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in China.

Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to China? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in China.

Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal travel conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.