The Potala Palace Climate
Due to its very high elevation, Lhasa has a monsoon-influenced warm-summer humid continental climate that very closely borders a cool semi-arid climate and a subtropical highland climate, with very dry, frosty winters and wet, warm summers, yet the valley location protects the city from intense cold or heat and strong winds. Monthly possible sunshine ranges from 53 percent in July to 84 percent in November, and the city receives nearly 3,000 hours of sunlight annually. It is thus sometimes called the "sunlit city" by Tibetans. The rainy season is widely regarded the "best" of the year as rains come mostly at night and Lhasa is still sunny during the daytime.
Climate Graph // Weather By Month
The driest month is January. There is 0 mm of precipitation in January. In August, the precipitation reaches its peak, with an average of 132 mm.
Average Temperature
With an average of 15.9 °C, June is the warmest month. At -1.8 °C on average, January is the coldest month of the year.
Weather By Month // Weather Average
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Avg. Temperature (°C) | -1.8 | 1.1 | 4.4 | 8 | 12.2 | 15.9 | 15.9 | 15.1 | 13.3 | 8.6 | 3 | -0.8 |
| Min. Temperature (°C) | -10.2 | -6.8 | -3.2 | 0.6 | 4.9 | 9.2 | 10 | 9.3 | 7.3 | 1.1 | -5.3 | -9.2 |
| Max. Temperature (°C) | 6.7 | 9.1 | 12.1 | 15.5 | 19.5 | 22.7 | 21.8 | 20.9 | 19.4 | 16.2 | 11.4 | 7.6 |
| Avg. Temperature (°F) | 28.8 | 34.0 | 39.9 | 46.4 | 54.0 | 60.6 | 60.6 | 59.2 | 55.9 | 47.5 | 37.4 | 30.6 |
| Min. Temperature (°F) | 13.6 | 19.8 | 26.2 | 33.1 | 40.8 | 48.6 | 50.0 | 48.7 | 45.1 | 34.0 | 22.5 | 15.4 |
| Max. Temperature (°F) | 44.1 | 48.4 | 53.8 | 59.9 | 67.1 | 72.9 | 71.2 | 69.6 | 66.9 | 61.2 | 52.5 | 45.7 |
| Precipitation / Rainfall (mm) | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 25 | 76 | 125 | 132 | 58 | 9 | 2 | 1 |
The precipitation varies 132 mm between the driest month and the wettest month. The variation in annual temperature is around 17.7 °C.
Best Time to Visit
Generally, tourists can visit Potala Palace all the year round. The period from April to October is the best time to travel to Potala Palace and the peak season is from May to September. During that period, the climate in Potala Palace is warm and humid. Lhasa is regarded as "Sunlight City " with a long duration of sunshine throughout the year.
What to Pack
Despite the amount of sunlight in Potala Palace, the daily difference in temperature is still large. It is kind of cold at night even if it is sunny in the daytime. Most hotels in Tibet have no central heating. Bringing warm clothes and shoes is therefore a wise choice. Generally, long-sleeve T-shirt, overcoat and jeans are also indispensable. To avoid being hurt burnt by the strong ultraviolet lights in this high-altitude area, it is suggested that you can bring sunhats, sunglasses, sun cream and other sunscreen products. What's more, for it is usually windy and dry here, a protective lipstick is also necessary. Sun glasses is absolutely necessary for all seasons to protect your eyes from the ultraviolet radiation and glisten of the snow.
