Samarkand (or Samarqand) is a city of 515,000 inhabitants, located in southeastern Uzbekistan, near the border with Tajikistan, 700 meters (2,300 feet) above sea level and 39 degrees north latitude.
A legendary city, located on the ancient Silk Road, Samarkand is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Zarafshon River, a former tributary of the Amu Darya, which today disperses its waters in the desert before reaching it, passes just north of the city.
, and in particular the Fan Mountains, the southwestern edge of the Pamir-Alaj system, whose highest peak, Mount Chimtarga, reaches 5,489 meters (18,008 ft).
is not abundant, since it amounts to 380 millimeters (15 inches) per year, however, it is more abundant than in most other cities of Uzbekistan (excluding the capital, Tashkent, which is the rainiest of all), due to the proximity of the mountains. It occurs mostly from November to May, while in summer, it almost never rains.
, from December to February, is quite cold, with an average January temperature of around 3 °C (37.5 °F).
However, the city can be affected by very different air masses. This means that there are periods in which it can rain, and others in which it can snow.
The winds from the south can bring mild periods, in which the temperature can reach, and sometimes exceed, 15 °C (59 °F).
, the temperature can drop to -15 °C (5 °F) or even below, although this doesn't happen every year. The coldest record is -25.4 °C (-13.7 °F), set in January 1969. That winter, the daily average was -5.9 °C (21.4 °F) in January and -5.5 °C (22.1 °F) in February. More recently, the temperature hit -20 °C (-4 °F) in January 2008 and in January 2023.
, from June to August, is very hot and sunny. The average in July is 28 °C (82.5 °F).
The heat record is 42.4 °C (108.3 °F), set in July 1983. In 2021, the temperature reached 41.6 °C (106.9 °F) in early June and 42 °C (107.6 °F) in early July.
. Here are the average temperatures.
January, the coldest month of the year, is generally a cold month. The average temperature is of
3,1 °C, with a minimum of
-1,3 °C and a maximum of
7,4 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-10,5 °C. However, it dropped to
-20 °C in January 2008.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
17 °C. However, it reached
23,2 °C in January 2015.
Precipitation amounts to
41,1 mm, distributed over 7 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 40 minutes.
There are on average 4 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 40% of the time.
The average humidity is 72%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
8,9 kph.
February is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
4,8 °C, with a minimum of
-0,1 °C and a maximum of
9,6 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-8,5 °C. However, it dropped to
-19,7 °C in February 2014.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
20 °C. However, it reached
26,7 °C in February 2004.
Precipitation amounts to
52,2 mm, distributed over 8 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 40 minutes.
There are on average 4,5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 44% of the time.
The average humidity is 71%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
10,3 kph.
March is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
10 °C, with a minimum of
4,7 °C and a maximum of
15,3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-3,5 °C. However, it dropped to
-9,7 °C in March 2012.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
26,5 °C. However, it reached
32,2 °C in March 2018.
Precipitation amounts to
73,2 mm, distributed over 10 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 5,5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 46% of the time.
The average humidity is 65%.
The average wind speed is of
11,1 kph.
April is generally a very mild month. The average temperature is of
15,6 °C, with a minimum of
9,8 °C and a maximum of
21,5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
2 °C. However, it dropped to
-4,1 °C in April 1994.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
31 °C. However, it reached
36,2 °C in April 2000.
Precipitation amounts to
62,9 mm, distributed over 7 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 20 minutes.
There are on average 7,5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 57% of the time.
The average humidity is 59%.
The average wind speed is of
11,6 kph.
May is generally a warm month. The average temperature is of
20,6 °C, with a minimum of
14,2 °C and a maximum of
27,1 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
7,5 °C. However, it dropped to
1,6 °C in May 1993.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
35 °C. However, it reached
39,5 °C in May 1991.
Precipitation amounts to
40 mm, distributed over 6 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 9,5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 67% of the time.
The average humidity is 49%.
The average wind speed is of
11,3 kph.
June is generally a warm to hot month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
25,3 °C, with a minimum of
18,1 °C and a maximum of
32,5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
12,5 °C. However, it dropped to
10,5 °C in June 1992.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
38,5 °C. However, it reached
41,4 °C in June 2001.
Precipitation amounts to only
6,8 mm, distributed over 2 days.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 55 minutes. June 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere.
There are on average 11,5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 77% of the time.
The average humidity is 37%.
The average wind speed is of
11,3 kph.
July, the hottest 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
27 °C, with a minimum of
19,6 °C and a maximum of
34,5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
14 °C. However, it dropped to
12,2 °C in July 1999.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
39,5 °C. However, it reached
41,5 °C in July 2008.
Precipitation amounts to only
1,6 mm, and all occurs in one day.
The day lasts on average 14 hours and 35 minutes.
There are on average 12 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 83% of the time.
The average humidity is 33%. Hence, the air is normally dry.
The average wind speed is of
11,1 kph.
August is generally a warm to hot month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
25,6 °C, with a minimum of
18 °C and a maximum of
33,3 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
12,5 °C. However, it dropped to
9 °C in August 2005.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
38,5 °C. However, it reached
41 °C in August 2002.
Precipitation amounts to only
1,6 mm, distributed over 0 days.
The day lasts on average 13 hours and 40 minutes.
There are on average 11,5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 85% of the time.
The average humidity is 35%. Hence, the air is normally dry.
The average wind speed is of
10,6 kph.
September is generally a warm month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
21,1 °C, with a minimum of
13,5 °C and a maximum of
28,7 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
7,5 °C. However, it dropped to
2 °C in September 2017.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
35,5 °C. However, it reached
38,6 °C in September 2013.
Precipitation amounts to only
2,7 mm, distributed over 0 days.
The day lasts on average 12 hours and 25 minutes.
There are on average 10 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 82% of the time.
The average humidity is 38%.
The average wind speed is of
10,9 kph.
October is generally a very mild month. However, there are remarkable differences between night and day. The average temperature is of
14,9 °C, with a minimum of
7,8 °C and a maximum of
22 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
1 °C. However, it dropped to
-3 °C in October 1995.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
30,5 °C. However, it reached
35,2 °C in October 2011.
Precipitation amounts to
16 mm, distributed over 3 days.
The day lasts on average 11 hours and 5 minutes.
There are on average 8 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 71% of the time.
The average humidity is 51%.
The average wind speed is of
9,4 kph.
November is generally a mild month. The average temperature is of
8,9 °C, with a minimum of
3,3 °C and a maximum of
14,5 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-4,5 °C. However, it dropped to
-11,6 °C in November 2016.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
25,5 °C. However, it reached
31,5 °C in November 2017.
Precipitation amounts to
40,3 mm, distributed over 6 days.
The day lasts on average 10 hours and 0 minutes.
There are on average 5 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 50% of the time.
The average humidity is 65%.
The average wind speed is of
8,9 kph.
December is generally a quite cold month. The average temperature is of
4,6 °C, with a minimum of
-0,1 °C and a maximum of
9,2 °C.
On the coldest nights of the month, the temperature usually drops to around
-8 °C. However, it dropped to
-18 °C in December 2002.
On the warmest days of the month, the temperature usually reaches around
19,5 °C. However, it reached
27,5 °C in December 2015.
Precipitation amounts to
39,2 mm, distributed over 7 days.
The day lasts on average 9 hours and 25 minutes. December 21, the winter solstice, is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere.
There are on average 4 hours of sunshine per day. So, the sun shines 41% of the time.
The average humidity is 71%. Hence, the air is normally humid.
The average wind speed is of
9 kph.