[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hen to go to Beijing? The shortest answer is ANY TIME, JUST COME QUICK, IT’S BRILLIANT. You’ve probably heard the slightly longer answer: the best weather for visitors in Beijing happens in spring and autumn, when the temperature is pleasant and the skies are blue.
This isn’t particularly helpful, actually, since spring and autumn are also Beijing’s shortest seasons. Blink and you’ll miss ‘em. So, we have compiled the world’s first (probably) month-by-month guide to Beijing weather, in order to help you fine-tune your travel plans – or just check up on what to expect. Enjoy!
Note: Data for the average low and high temperatures in Beijing is from www.bbc.com/weather
January
Temp: -10 to 1 (ºC)
Brrr! Though Beijing sits on roughly the same latitude as New York, Madrid and Naples, it’s darn cold in January thanks to the giant Siberian anti-cyclone to the North. January is Beijing’s coldest, driest month, so pack gloves, scarves, moisturiser and lip balm. That said, winter can be a lovely time to visit – ice-skating on Houhai lake, steamy hot pot feasts, and the chance of a tourist-free, snow-capped Great Wall.
Click here for a sample two-day itinerary to experience the best of Beijing in winter.
February
Temp: -8 to 4 (ºC)
There’s a buzz in the chill air in February as Beijing gears up for Chinese New Year (February 4th–10th in 2019). Known as chun jie, or ‘Spring Festival’ in Chinese, it officially marks the end of winter, and change is certainly in the air, though you’ll still need to wrap up warm.
Beijing explodes with fireworks and firecrackers at Chinese New Year, and the city’s temples and parks open their gates for traditional Temple Fairs. It can be a fun, fascinating time to visit, though lots of restaurants and some sights will be closed, and train travel to other cities in China will be terribly congested.
Click here for a guide to experiencing Chinese New Year in Beijing.
March
Temp: -1 to 11 (ºC)
In March, the woolly hats start to come off, the trees bud and Beijing shakes off its icy slumber. It can be a pleasant time to visit – pack a jacket and enjoy relatively calm and peaceful tourist sights as Beijing recovers after Chinese New Year. Like most of the year (aside from July to September), rain is very infrequent.
April
Temp: 7 to 21 (ºC)
One word of advice for Beijing weather in April? Layers! You could be fending off a brisk northerly wind one day, and be dining alfresco in the sun the next. For a week or so late in the month, the liuxu, gossamer-like seeds of the willow tree, waft hazily through the atmosphere. This spectacle isn’t much of a nuisance; more perturbing can be the (very) occasional sandstorms that blow south off the Gobi, leaving a fine layer of sandy dust over cars and pavements.
May
Temp: 13 to 27 (ºC)
Bank on T-shirt weather in Beijing in May – in fact, at time of writing (22/05/14) it’s 35ºC outside and we are cowering under the air-con! The weather is unseasonably hot, actually, but we’re not complaining – especially with the prospect of rooftop sundowner drinks after work. Note that May 1-3 is a national holiday, so expect tourist sights on those days to be seriously packed.
June
Temp: 18 to 31 (ºC)
June is a fine month to spend out of doors in Beijing, hiking the Great Wall, dining alfresco in tree-shaded courtyards, cycling in the hutongs or chilling at Beijing’s parks and lakes. The locals are starting to feel the heat – keep an eye out for men pulling up their shirts to expose their bellies – considered an efficient way of cooling off! You might encounter the occasional rain shower, but certainly no reason to carry an umbrella.
July
Temp: 21 to 31 (ºC)
Feeling hot, hot, hot! Beijing officially becomes a blast furnace. All that shiny new development seems to amplify the heat and humidity, and even hutong dwellers drag their beds outside to sleep in the alleyways under the stars. You’ll be darting from one air-conditioned building to another, and will suffer the occasional monsoon-style soaking – July isn’t just Beijing’s hottest month, it’s the wettest too. Scorched locals dine on sesame-soaked cold noodles and icy bottles of beer, while al fresco dining and drinking shifts from lunchtime to the (slightly) cooler evenings.
August
Temp: 20 to 30 (ºC)
August is another sizzler– you’ll understand why Beijing’s Qing Dynasty rulers used to escape the heat of the city to one of their two Summer Palaces (the furthest being 250km north in comparatively cool Chengde). Towards the end of the month the heat and humidity in Beijing starts to drop and the city becomes a little more comfortable, helped by cooling rain showers.
September
Temp: 14 to 26 (ºC)
Pound-for-pound, the nicest month to visit Beijing. Balmy early autumn warmth is tempered by a freshness in the air and deep blue skies. Perfect weather for sightseeing, in-country travel, hiking, al-fresco dining – you name it.
October
Temp: 6 to 20 (ºC)
The weather remains fine for most of October – the first part of the month is given over to the ‘Golden Week’ national holidays, which sees Beijing’s famous sights unimaginably swamped with visitors. In October the Forbidden City has been known to receive a record 180,000 visitors. In one day. Yikes. Temperatures start to cool towards the end of the month, moving into light jacket territory. Hiking is lovely at this time of year.
Click here for a more detailed guide to the myriad joys of late autumn in Beijing.
November
Temp: -2 to 9 (ºC)
November can still be a comfortable time to visit Beijing, weather-wise, as the city gears up for its long, dry winter. The hutongs are invaded by a green tide of cabbages piled high outside doorways as the local start battening down, and you’ll begin to see coal sellers doing their rounds, and hawkers with carts of baked sweet potatoes. Temperatures vary between chilly and warm – it’s not quite gloves weather yet.
December
Temp: -8 to 3 (ºC)
The lakes of Shichahai finally freeze over in December, as Beijingers get their skates on, fortified against the cold with bags of hot roast chestnuts. Christmas is becoming more of a ‘thing’ in China, especially for retail, but you will need to use your imagination if you are in town for the holidays and want to feel festive. Generally, snowfall is rare in Beijing’s dry winters, but when it happens it’s a chance to see the power of mass mobilization – in a matter of hours, armies of ‘volunteers’ have swept the city clean of snow.
Final thought: Team Bespoke has lived in the capital for many years, and experienced all sorts of weather, from the coldest winter in 50 years (2010) to the epic (and sadly, tragic) rains of summer 2012. The point is, we’ve seen it all, and it hasn’t dampened our enthusiasm for the city one bit. There’s something unique and appealing about Beijing no matter the season, perhaps with the one exception being July at its hottest! The air pollution? Well, that’s another matter. Find out what we think about that here.
About the author: Tom O’Malley is Propaganda Secretary at Bespoke Beijing. A lifestyle journalist, guidebook author, glutton and bon vivant, Tom is a tireless crusader for fine food, hospitality and tourist experiences in China’s capital.