Shigatse Climate

Shigatse has a semi-arid, plateau temperate, monsoon climate which features: thin air, low barometric pressure and thin oxygen; strong solar radiation, with 3,300 hours of sunlight a year and intense ultraviolet rays; relatively low temperatures with large daily difference but small annual difference. Summer is usually mild and wet, and brings most of the annual rainfall. June to July is considered the temperate rainy season and it rains much at night. Winter is cold, dry and windy. Its annual mean temperature is 6.8 degrees Celsius. If you plan to visit Shigatse specifically to see Mount Everest, April through June is the best time to travel. It is not a

recommended time to visit from November to April, because the temperature is quite low then. During the day, especially at noon, the high temperature may cause sunstroke while the low temperature at night may contribute to people catching colds. Accordingly, warm and windproof clothes are highly recommended. Visitors should take the climate and location into consideration prior to traveling to Shigatse and medications for altitude sickness and cold remedies should be included in any travel kit. Every year in Shigatse, there are many festivals honoring local history and culture. The festivals are always full of local characters and if you are lucky enough to meet some of them, you will better understand this remote and mysterious land.