In Mongolia, the climate is strongly continental, with long, frigid winters and short, warm summers: the temperature range between winter and summer is definitely wide.

Precipitation is scarce and is concentrated in summer, when the country is partly affected by the Asian monsoon; in winter, when a thermal high pressure system dominates, the sky is often clear. Precipitation is more abundant in the north, where it exceeds 300 millimeters (12 inches) per year, while in the south, which is desert, it drops below 200 mm (8 in) per year.

Much of Mongolia is occupied by a plateau at an altitude between 1,000 and 1,500 meters (3,300 and 4,900 feet), which tempers the summer temperatures.

In the plateau, strong winds can blow, especially in spring. Owing to the aridity of the climate, these winds can bring dust storms, which are more frequent in the south (where they occur more than 30 days per year), quite frequent in the center (15 to 30 days per year), and very rare in the north (even less than 10 days per year).

The climate in Mongolia is unstable, so, from year to year, there may be significant variations in temperature and precipitation.

In Mongolia, clear skies are frequent throughout the year, so there’s plenty of sunshine. The sunniest season is spring. In summer, the number of cloudy days increases a bit on account of the aforementioned Asian monsoon.

Seasons

Summer in Mongolia is mild or cool in the north and at higher elevations, while it becomes warm to hot in the south and at lower elevations. In fact, the temperature is higher in the south and at low altitude. At 1,500 meters (5,000 feet) above sea level, the daily average in July is around 13 °C (55.5 °F) in the far north, around 15 °C (59 °F) in the center-north, and 20 °C (68 °F) in the south. At 1,000 meters (3,300 feet), the daily average ranges from 16 °C (61 °F) in the north to 24 °C (75 °F) in the south.

So, only at the lowest altitudes and in the south, the summer can be considered hot. The areas located at low altitudes, around a thousand meters or less, are not very large, so the summer nights in most of Mongolia are generally cool (sometimes even cold) and the days are pleasant.

However, in the whole country, heat waves can occur, with peaks of 35/37 °C (95/99 °F), at least below 1,500 meters (5,000 feet).

Winter in Mongolia is very cold, especially in the north. The average temperature in January ranges from around -32 °C (-26 °F) in the coldest areas of the north to around -15 °C (5 °F) in the south.

The temperature does not necessarily decrease with altitude, on the contrary, owing to the phenomenon of the temperature inversion, it can even increase with altitude. In fact, the coldest areas of the country are the valleys between the mountains of the north, at least in winter.

During winter, snowfalls are frequent but usually light, in fact, they often create a thin white veil, which can be carried away by the wind. Sometimes, a light snow can even fall when the sky is clear, in fact, when the temperature is very cold, moisture can directly condense.

In winter, the wind associated with outbreaks of cold air masses can amplify the feeling of cold and lead to rapid frostbite to the persons who are not sufficiently covered. For example, with a temperature of -20 °C (-4 °F), which is normal in Mongolia during the cold season, a wind of 72 kph (45 mph) generates a wind chill (equivalent temperature) of -35 °C (-31 °F), and therefore the risk of freezing. When the temperature plunges below -30 °C (-22 °F), in case of prolonged exposure, there’s a risk of frostbite even with no wind.

Mountains and Lakes

In addition to the plateau, in Mongolia, there are mountain ranges: in the west, we find the Altay Mountains, whose highest point is Hüiten Peak, 4,374 meters (14,350 feet) high; in the west-central, we find the Khangai Mountains, which reach 4,000 meters (13,000 ft); while north of the capital, we find the aforementioned Khentii Mountains, which reach 2,800 meters (9,200 ft).

The mountainous areas are those that receive the most abundant rainfall, and they are practically the only ones where you can find forests.

Above 3,500 meters (11,500 ft), there are glaciers and snowfields, while at altitudes a bit lower, above 2,000 meters (6,500 feet), it can sometimes snow even in summer.

In Mongolia, there are several lakes, some of which are large enough to influence the local climate. In winter, of course, the lakes freeze.

The largest lake, Uvs, is located in the far north-west, at 760 metres (2,500 feet), in a desert area, where the average temperature in July is around 19 °C (66 °F).

The second lake, Lake Khuvsgul, is located in the north at 1,650 meters (5,400 feet), in a greener area, and given the high altitude and the size of the lake, on the banks, it’s very cool or cold even in summer. In Khatgal, on the southern shore of the lake, in July there is a minimum of 7 °C (44.5 °F) and a maximum of 20 °C (68 °F). Precipitation amounts to 315 mm (12.5 inches) per year, therefore we are in the rainiest area of Mongolia.

The third lake, Khar-Us, is located in the west at 1,150 meters (3,800 feet) above sea level, in a desert area.

The Gobi Desert

The Gobi Desert is located in the south. In winter it is the mildest part of Mongolia, but the temperatures are very low. In summer, temperatures in this area are high, in fact, below 1,000 meters (3,300 feet) of altitude, highs in July reach or exceed 30 °C (86 °F). In addition, there may be heat waves, during which the temperature reaches 38/40 °C (100/104 °F). For example, in Sainshand, located in the south-east, at 950 meters (3,100 ft) above sea level, the average temperature ranges from -17 °C (1.5 °F) in January to 24.3 °C (75.7 °F) in July.

Although it is drier than the north, the Gobi Desert receives some rain showers in summer, able to feed some grass as well as the camels, at least in the eastern part, where from 150 to 200 mm (6 to 8 inches) of rain fall per year.

The most arid area is the south-west, where precipitation drops below 100 mm (4 inches) per year, and in some cases even below 50 mm (2 inches).