In winter Mongolia is very cold. Locals dress in layers of thermal clothing with warm jackets and snow trousers over the top or traditional fur Mongolian deels (long jackets).
Despite being very cold the weather can be quite bearable with the right preparation. Whilst -40 degrees may sound ominous, the almost total lack of humidity means that as long as you protect your skin with a couple of good layers you will not lose much body heat whilst outside.
The weather across Mongolia is generally about 10 degrees warmer in the south from the north and visitors to both will notice a lot more snowfall the further north they travel. Temperatures and general weather advice given below is specific to Ulaanbaatar which is where most people will use as a base of travels whilst travelling in Mongolia. Further down are some examples of more extreme weather and some warnings for travellers in the more remote areas of Mongolia.
|
Month |
Average Temperature (as of last year) |
Expected Weather Conditions (as of last year) |
|
January |
-23°C |
Wind and light snow. Clear skies |
|
February |
-23°C |
Wind and moderate snow. Clear skies |
|
March |
-10°C |
Snow, Rain, high winds and mostly cloudy |
|
April |
11°C |
Sleet and rain. Mostly cloudy |
|
May |
16°C |
Windy with some snow and rain. Some sunny days |
|
June |
24°C |
Heavy rain and intermittent sunny days |
|
July |
25°C |
Mostly dry sunny days with occasional rain |
|
August |
22°C |
Mostly dry sunny days with occasional rain |
|
September |
3°C |
Dry and overcast with some wind |
|
October |
-3°C |
Snow and overcast |
|
November |
-14°C |
Heavy snow and cloudy |
|
December |
-25°C |
Snow with some sunny days |
The previous 2 years have been very mild by Mongolian standards which have historically been much harsher so it s advised that you do not rely too heavily on the above information and use it as a guide only.
During winter it really is best to avoid solo travel unless you are an experienced outdoors person. Even traveling in a group outside of the city can be dangerous as sudden snowstorms can appears from nowhere halting your journey until someone comes to rescue you. At the very least let people know where you are going and when you should arrive so that they will be aware if you go missing and make sure never to put anyone else at risk if they have to come and rescue you.
