China - weather in January

January is the central month of winter in China, and it is the coldest of the year in the whole territory. In general, it is a cold but sunny month in the north and in Tibet, mild but cloudy in the south.
Given the size of the country, the average temperatures vary greatly: they are below freezing in the north-west, in Xinjiang, largely occupied by desert plateaus (see Ürümqi, Kashgar), and even more in the north-east, in Manchuria, influenced by Siberian air masses (see Tahe, Harbin).
In Beijing it is often very cold, and an icy wind blows from the Mongolian desert.
In the central area (see Shanghai, Wuhan, Chongqing), temperatures are relatively mild, and the rains are a little more frequent than in the north.
In the west, on the Tibetan plateau (see Lhasa), it is sunny during the day, but at night the temperature drops several degrees below freezing. Also, a very strong wind can blow.
In the southwest, in the mountains of Yunnan (see Kunming), the days are mild and often sunny, but it gets cold at night.
In the center-south, temperatures are mild, and in the south, in Guangdong and Guangxi, the daily average exceeds 15 °C (59 °F) on the coasts south of the Tropic.
In the extreme south, on the island of Hainan, where the climate is tropical, the average temperature is 18.5 °C (65 °F) on the north coast (see Haikou), and even 23 °C (73 °F) on the south coast (see Sanya).
In winter, cold spells can occur in China, during which the temperature can drop to -30 °C (-22 °F) or even below in the north-east and north-west, and to -15 °C (5 °F) in Beijing, while in the center, in Shanghai it can drop a few degrees below freezing and it can snow. On the southern coast (see Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong), some days can be a bit cold and windy, but the temperature never drops below freezing.
Winter in China is the driest season. In January, precipitation is very rare in the north, where it occurs in the form of snow (generally light), while in the center-south it is quite frequent. The rainiest area is the eastern one (see Shanghai, Hangzhou, Nanchang).
China is located at medium latitudes, however, in January the days are quite short in the northern part, where the sun stays above the horizon for less than 10 hours on average.

The sea is warm enough for swimming, with a temperature of 23 °C (73 °F), only on the southern coast of Hainan (see Sanya).




See also: China, the weather in December - February
The climate of China