, with a dry season from November to April and a rainy season, due to the monsoon, which runs roughly from mid-May to October. Before the monsoon, in April and May, there is however an increase in showers and thunderstorms.
The city is located in the northwest of Thailand, along the Ping River, at almost 19 degrees north latitude and 300 meters (1,000 feet) above sea level.
, 1,676 meters (5,499 ft) high and protected in a national park. On the slope at 1,000 meters (3,300 ft) above sea level there is an important Buddhist temple, Wat Phrathat Doi Suthep.
fall per year. From December to March, the rains are very rare. The wettest months are August and September. During the rainy season, from May to October, but sometimes also in April, the rains can be particularly intense and cause
.
, from December to February, the weather in Chiang Mai is generally good, during the day it is hot, but nights are cool enough.
Sometimes it can get very hot even in the middle of winter, but there can also be
, in which the minimum temperature can drop to about 10 °C (50 °F), and more rarely, periods in which it can to get cold at night. In December 1999, the minimum dropped to 4 °C (39 °F), with a maximum of 20 °C (68 °F). In January 2016, during a cold wave that affected several regions of Southeast Asia, there was a day with a minimum of 10 °C (50 °F) and a maximum of 12 °C (53.5 °F). Four days earlier, the January heat record was set with 36 °C (97 °F).
, before the monsoon, is the hottest time of the year. On the hottest days, the temperature can exceed 40 °C (104 °F). The record is 42.5 °C (108.5 °F), set in May 2016.
, from May to October, the daytime temperature decreases, but the night temperature and the humidity increase. In the periods of pause between a wave of bad weather and another, however, it can get very hot even in this period.
Due to its position far from the sea and protected by the mountains, Chiang Mai is not directly affected by
, however, it can be affected by their remnants, both of the cyclones that form on the Indian Ocean (from April to December), and of the typhoons coming from the east, from the South China Sea (June to December). The remnants of cyclones can bring more abundant rainfall than usual.
shines for about 2,500 hours a year. The amount of sunshine is very good in the dry season, from December to April, when clear skies prevail, while it's not high in the monsoon period, especially from June to September, when there are several cloudy periods.
The best months in Chiang Mai are December and January, as they are the least hot of the year. In February the temperature begins to rise, and March and April are very hot months, although we are still in the dry period. In April, however, the rain showers gradually increase.
In November too, the weather is generally good and the rains are rare, but it is a bit hotter than in the middle of winter.
. Here are the average temperatures.
January, the coolest month of the year, is generally a warm to hot month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
22.6 °C, with a minimum of
15.1 °C and a maximum of
30 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
11.5 °C. However, it dropped to
9 °C in January 1998.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
33 °C. However, it reached
36 °C in January 2016.
Precipitation amounts to
10 mm, and all occurs in one day.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 5 minutes.
There are on average 9 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 79% of the time.
The average humidity is 64%.
The average wind speed is of
3.5 kph.
February is generally a warm to hot month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
24.6 °C, with a minimum of
16.3 °C and a maximum of
32.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
13 °C. However, it dropped to
9.4 °C in February 1998.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
36 °C. However, it reached
37.7 °C in February 1998.
Precipitation amounts to
10 mm, and all occurs in one day.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 30 minutes.
There are on average 9 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 79% of the time.
The average humidity is 52%.
The average wind speed is of
4.3 kph.
March is generally a warm to hot month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
27.5 °C, with a minimum of
19.6 °C and a maximum of
35.4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
16 °C. However, it dropped to
13.8 °C in March 2003.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
38.5 °C. However, it reached
42.2 °C in March 2020.
Precipitation amounts to
20 mm, distributed over 2 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 5 minutes.
There are on average 9.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 79% of the time.
The average humidity is 47%.
The average wind speed is of
5.7 kph.
April, the hottest month of the year, is generally a very hot month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
29.8 °C, with a minimum of
22.9 °C and a maximum of
36.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
20 °C. However, it dropped to
16 °C in April 1991.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
39.5 °C. However, it reached
41.7 °C in April 2020.
Precipitation amounts to
55 mm, distributed over 6 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 35 minutes.
There are on average 9.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 74% of the time.
The average humidity is 52%.
The average wind speed is of
7.1 kph.
May is generally a very hot month. The average temperature is of
29.3 °C, with a minimum of
23.8 °C and a maximum of
34.7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
21.5 °C. However, it dropped to
18 °C in May 2006.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
38.5 °C. However, it reached
42.5 °C in May 2016.
Precipitation amounts to
155 mm, distributed over 15 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 49% of the time.
The average humidity is 67%.
The average wind speed is of
7.5 kph.
June is generally a very hot, muggy month. The average temperature is of
28.7 °C, with a minimum of
24.1 °C and a maximum of
33.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
22.5 °C. However, it dropped to
21 °C in June 2006.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
36.5 °C. However, it reached
40 °C in June 1992.
Precipitation amounts to
115 mm, distributed over 16 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 10 minutes. June 21, the summer solstice, is the longest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 39% of the time.
The average humidity is 74%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
7.2 kph.
July is generally a very hot, muggy month. The average temperature is of
28 °C, with a minimum of
23.9 °C and a maximum of
32.2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
22.5 °C. However, it dropped to
21 °C in July 2007.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
35.5 °C. However, it reached
40 °C in July 2019.
Precipitation amounts to
155 mm, distributed over 18 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 5 minutes.
There are on average 4 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 30% of the time.
The average humidity is 77%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
6.5 kph.
August is generally a very hot, muggy month. The average temperature is of
27.7 °C, with a minimum of
23.7 °C and a maximum of
31.6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
22.5 °C. However, it dropped to
21.7 °C in August 1993.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
34.5 °C. However, it reached
36.8 °C in August 2015.
Precipitation amounts to
225 mm, distributed over 21 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 40 minutes.
There are on average 4 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 30% of the time.
The average humidity is 80%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
5.8 kph.
September is generally a very hot, muggy month. The average temperature is of
27.7 °C, with a minimum of
23.4 °C and a maximum of
32 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
22 °C. However, it dropped to
19.5 °C in September 1998.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
34.5 °C. However, it reached
37 °C in September 2006.
Precipitation amounts to
200 mm, distributed over 17 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 10 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 39% of the time.
The average humidity is 80%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
5.4 kph.
October is generally a warm to hot, muggy month. The average temperature is of
27 °C, with a minimum of
22.2 °C and a maximum of
31.8 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
19.5 °C. However, it dropped to
14 °C in October 1994.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
34.5 °C. However, it reached
36.5 °C in October 2019.
Precipitation amounts to
120 mm, distributed over 12 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 40 minutes.
There are on average 6.5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 56% of the time.
The average humidity is 76%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
5 kph.
November is generally a warm to hot, muggy month. The average temperature is of
25.1 °C, with a minimum of
19.3 °C and a maximum of
30.9 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
15.5 °C. However, it dropped to
10.6 °C in November 2001.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
33.5 °C. However, it reached
35.5 °C in November 2017.
Precipitation amounts to
50 mm, distributed over 5 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 10 minutes.
There are on average 7 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 64% of the time.
The average humidity is 71%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
4.2 kph.
December is generally a warm to hot month. The average temperature is of
22.8 °C, with a minimum of
16.3 °C and a maximum of
29.3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
12 °C. However, it dropped to
3.8 °C in December 1999.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
32.5 °C. However, it reached
35.3 °C in December 1998.
Precipitation amounts to
20 mm, distributed over 2 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 0 minutes. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 8 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 75% of the time.
The average humidity is 69%.
The average wind speed is of
4 kph.