Shigatse Climate
There are mainly 3 kinds of regional climate in Shigatse: temperate semiarid monsoon climate of plateau in the region north of the Himalayas and south of the Nyainqentanglha, semi-frigid semiarid and arid monsoon climate of plateau in a few regions north of the Nyainqentanglha and temperate monsoon semi-humid climate of plateau in the region south of the main ridge of the Himalayas. The general weather characteristics are as following:
1. Rare air, low air pressure and lack of oxygen.
2. Strong radiation of sun, long hours of sunlight (average 3,300 hours per year) and strong plateau ultraviolet.
3. Low temperature (average 0℃ in the semi-frigid region of west and 6.5℃ in the temperate region of east), with minor difference between years while great one between days (average 16℃ in the northwest and 14℃ in the east)
4. Clearly demarcated dry and rainy seasons: the former is from every October to next April, dry, windy, cold with rare rain or snow (accounting for less than 10% of annual rainfall); the latter is from May to September, mild and humid (accounting for more than 90% of annual rainfall). At this time, it will often rain at night (accounting for 70%-80% of total rainfall) and there will be a lot of thunderstorms and hailstones. The space distribution of rainfall is uneven here (200-430mm in the east and <200mm in the west). It rains earlier in the east than in the west, and the rainfall differs from one year to another.
5. Frost free period lasts more than 120 days without heavy snow and the snowfield mainly lie in the south of Yatungpali-Nyalam-Tingri line.
6. It is warm all the year round (average temperature of the warmest day is 18-22℃) with plenty rainfall (annual rainfall is about 1000mm) in Yatung, Zhangmu, Jilong, Chentang and Rongxia on the southern brae of the Himalayas, which has characters of the highland semitropical climate.
1. Traveling in summer or autumn, you can dress yourself the way of midautumn in the north. You’d better choose cotton intimate apparels because the temperature differs greatly between day and night (cold in morning and night while hot at noon); as for those whose constitution is heat, it’s necessary to take on a T-shirt and bring a dustcoat.
2. Take on a topee and do not forget a collapsible umbrella or raincoat in summer and autumn.
3. You should be all kit out in winter and spring to protect yourself from the cold and wind.
4. Prepare winter clothing if you come to Tibet in late autumn.
5. Sunglasses is absolutely necessary for all seasons to protect your eyes from ultraviolet radiation and glisten of the snow (especially when your destination is Everest); suntan lotion, skin cream and lipstick are also essential in the dry air and scalding sunlight, so, dear sirs, don’t be careless just because you are males, for there are really some guys who left with burnt noses.
6. Shigatse is sunny and mild with yearly average temperature of 6.3℃, Since the weather as well as the tourist establishments are all desirable, you can come to enjoy the beautiful scenery anytime, with a minor lose of less green and life in winter than summer. As for those who are interested in Tibetan Buddhism, don’t miss the Zhanfo Festival and Tiaoshen Festival in Tashilumpo Monastery, the Ximuqinbo Festival in Xialu Monastery and the Tibetan dramas as well. Meanwhile, the period from May to July is the best time to travel in Shigatse. It will be fine mostly, clouds rolling in the sky, slowly moving its dark shadow over a vast stretch of golden rape flowers and green highland barleys; Everest unveiling on occasion from dark clouds that hangs around it most of a year, bringing about happiness and luck to those who come to appreciate it reverently. You can go to anywhere of the semitropical region in the south, although it usually rains heavily there.