China weather in January
What is the weather like in China in January?
The weather conditions in China in January vary from poor to perfect depending on the destination. It is a winter month.
During January in China, the average maximum temperature varies from very low in Mohe with -21°C (-6°F) to high in Baoting with 23°C (73°F). Minimum nighttime temperatures generally drop to 16°C (62°F) in Baoting and -36°C (-33°F) in Mohe. On average, it is the coldest month of the year in China. So be prepared and make sure to pack winter cloths.
Precipitation in January varies from almost none in Lhasa with an average of 0mm (0 inches) of snow/rainfall to moderate in Yingtan with 88mm (3.5 inches).
It is the driest month of the year in Beijing.
It is also generally a
moderately sunny
time of year with an average of 186 hours of sunshine in Beijing during the entire month.
To learn more about the weather conditions in specific areas of China, check out the map below.
Where to go in China in January
perfect weather
pleasant
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poor
Popular destinations in China
What is the weather like in January for the 5 most popular destinations in China?
Average weather in Beijing
In January Beijing generally has very low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 2°C (35°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around -8°C (17°F) and almost no monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.
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Average weather in Shanghai
In January Shanghai generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 8°C (46°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 3°C (37°F) and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.
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Average weather in Guangzhou
In January Guangzhou generally has pleasant temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 18°C (65°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 11°C (51°F) and moderate monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are pleasant that month.
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Average weather in Chengdu
In January Chengdu generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 9°C (49°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around 3°C (38°F) and low monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are unpleasant that month.
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Average weather in Xi'an
In January Xi'an generally has low temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 4°C (38°F), minimum nighttime temperatures around -5°C (23°F) and low monthly snow/rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.
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Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in China.
Is January the best time to go to China?
In our opinion January is not the best time to visit China with commonly poor weather in Beijing.
On average the best time to visit China is in April, May, September and October with generally perfect weather in Beijing.
The worst months are January and December that can have poor weather conditions.
Interested in more climate information?
We have much more information about the climate in China.
Interested in the weather conditions in a specific month? Select the month below.
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 climate conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.