Climate in Turkmenistan

In Turkmenistan, a country of Central Asia, the climate is arid continental. Winters are cold in the north and relatively mild in the south, wild summers are very hot and sunny. Being that the country is subject to different air masses, the weather is unstable, and there can be cold spells as well as heatwaves. The wind can be strong and can raise dust storms.
Precipitation (rain or snow) is decidedly scarce, as it is almost everywhere lower than 250 millimeters (10 inches) per year, and generally occurs from October to May. Summer is the driest season.

Much of Turkmenistan is occupied by the Karakum Desert. The coasts of the Caspian Sea are desert as well, but they are milder in winter, while they are a bit less hot but more humid in summer.
In the north, in the area which was once occupied by the Aral Sea, we find Lake Sarygamysh, fed by a branch of the Amu Darya River.

In the south, on the border with Iran, we find some mountain ranges, such as Kopet Dag (or Turkmen-Khorasan), from whose slopes hot winds can descend, leading to rapid increases in temperature. The capital, Ashgabat, which lies at the foot of the mountains, is directly affected by these winds.
Another mountain range, Köýtendag (or Kugitangtau), lies in the east, and reaches its highest point in Mount Aýrybaba, 3,138 meters (10,295 feet) high, which is the highest mountain of the country. On the other hand, no obstacles are found to the north, so cold air masses of Siberian origin can easily reach the country in the cold half-year.

The climate in detail

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• The seasons
• When to go
• What to pack

The seasons

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Winter is cold in the north, while it is milder in the center and the south. The average temperature in January drops slightly below freezing in the north (see Dashoguz), is around 3 °C (37.5 °F) in the center (see Gyzylarbat, Türkmenabat), and rises to around 5/6 °C (41/43 °F) in the south (see Ashgabat, Mary).
Snowfalls may occur, but they are generally not abundant because of the aridity of the climate.
In periods of stable weather, fog can form.
During cold waves, in the north, the temperature drops to -15 °C (5 °F) or below almost every year, and can occasionally drop below -30 °C (-22 °F). In the center-south, in inland areas, cold waves are less intense, in fact, the temperature drops once every few years to -10 °C (14 °F), and more rarely from -20 °C to -25 °C (-13 to -4 °F).
On the coast (see Türkmenbashy), cold waves are slightly less intense than these values.

In spring, from March to May, the clash of air masses makes winds and temperature changes frequent. Rainfall also increases a bit, so much so that this is often the rainiest season of the year, although the level remains quite low.

Summer is very hot everywhere: the daily average temperature in July is around 28/29 °C (82/84 °F) in the north and on the shores of the Caspian Sea, while it exceeds 30 °C (86 °F) in the center and south.
There can be scorchingly hot periods, even of long duration, during which the temperature exceeds 40 °C (104 °F). The records in the inland areas are around 46/47 °C (115/117 °F).
The mildest part of the country is the south-west, on the coast of the Caspian Sea (see Esenguly), which is less cold in winter, while in summer it is less hot during the day but more muggy, due to the winds that blow directly from the sea.

When to go

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The best times to visit Turkmenistan are spring and autumn in order to avoid the extreme temperatures typical of the country, and in particular, the months of April and October, bearing in mind that in any case it can get cold at night, especially in the north, and hot during the day, especially in the south.
In the capital and in the south, where the hot season is longer, you can choose the periods from mid-March to mid-April and from mid-October to mid-November.

What to pack

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In winter: in Ashgabat and in the central and southern main cities, pack warm clothing, a sweater, a down jacket, a scarf for the wind, being ready to remove the outer layer in mild days, but also to wear warmer clothes during cold waves, such as a parka, a fur hat, a scarf, and gloves. In the far north, in Dashoguz and Lake Sarygamysh, very warm clothes are almost always necessary.

In summer: pack lightweight clothes, loose-fitting and made of natural fabric (cotton or linen), a sun hat, a desert turban, a sweatshirt for the evening, and a light sweatshirt for the breeze on the Caspian Sea shores. For the mountains, pack light clothes for the day, a sun hat, a sweatshirt and a light jacket for the evening, and hiking shoes; for the summit of mount Aýrybaba, a sweater and a jacket for the evening.

It's better for women to avoid shorts and miniskirts.

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See also the temperatures month by month