The country of China has many different climates because it has a diverse geography. With mountains, valleys, rivers and deserts, climate is hard to predict. Northern China has the coldest weather. Central China has average temperatures with cold winters and hot summers. Eastern China is the wettest region. The Western desert has triple digit temperatures. Monsoons come during the late spring and early fall.
Beijing, north of Heilongjiang, has an average January temperature of between −20 °C (−4 °F) −40 °C (−40 °F); the average July temperature in the same area may soar to 20 °C (68 °F). By contrast, the central and southern parts of Guangdong province, such as the island of Hainan, experience an average January temperature above 10 °C (50 °F), while the July mean is above 28 °C (82 °F).
Rainfall and snowfall varies more than the temperatures. Some parts of China, like areas south of the Qin Mountains, have the most rainfall, most of it the result of monsoons. It has warm temperatures year round. Northern and western areas receive uncertain precipitation totals. The amounts lessen the farther to the north or west one travels in China.
The northwest receives the least amount of precipitation. It is hot in summer and cold in winter. The southwest has the largest temperature range. In the valleys, the temperatures are warmer than on the mountaintops. The deserts receive even less rainfall than the northwest. Along the eastern and southern coasts, typhoons are the biggest concern. In the northeast, summer is short with lots of sunshine, but the winter is long and cold. The central regions, near the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River valleys, experience four seasons. Other climatic events include damaging floods, monsoons, tsunamis, dust storms, and droughts.
The most populated area in China is the hot summer/cold winter zone where the temperatures range between 25–30 °C (77–86 °F) during the summer with the highest temperatures reaching 40 °C (104 °F). The winter temperatures range between 0 and 10 °C (32 – 50°F). The temperatures remain nearly the same throughout the day and night. This area receives lots of rain and snow.
The best travel times to China are the months of April and September. These are the times when the weather is stable and relatively warm. To avoid crowds, check for the holiday schedule and avoid those times, because reservations for transportation and hotels become almost impossible to secure.
