September remains humid (83%) and wet (119mm). October is a transition month with rain dropping to 40mm and temperatures settling at 15-21C (59-70F). November is dry (16mm) but overcast with only 2 sun hours. This is the secondary shoulder season — cooler than summer but still very gray.
Winter (December to February)
Chengdu winters are mild but damp and overcast. January sees highs of 9C (48F), lows of 3C (37F), and only 2 sun hours. Snow is extremely rare — the city might see a dusting once every few years. Rain is minimal (6-12mm per month). Humidity stays high at 81-84%, making the cold feel penetrating. This is the dry season: the least rain of the year but the grayest skies.
Chengdu summers are hot, humid, and wet. July-August peak at 30C (86F) with humidity at 83-84%. July is the wettest month: 231mm across 17 rain days. Despite being the sunniest months, that only means 5 hours daily — still deeply overcast. The Sichuan Basin’s geography means summer heat feels oppressive because it never really cools at night (lows of 22-23C / 72-73F). Air conditioning is essential. The rainy season typically peaks in July with afternoon downpours.
Autumn (September to November)
September remains humid (83%) and wet (119mm). October is a transition month with rain dropping to 40mm and temperatures settling at 15-21C (59-70F). November is dry (16mm) but overcast with only 2 sun hours. This is the secondary shoulder season — cooler than summer but still very gray.
Winter (December to February)
Chengdu winters are mild but damp and overcast. January sees highs of 9C (48F), lows of 3C (37F), and only 2 sun hours. Snow is extremely rare — the city might see a dusting once every few years. Rain is minimal (6-12mm per month). Humidity stays high at 81-84%, making the cold feel penetrating. This is the dry season: the least rain of the year but the grayest skies.
Spring warms from 16C (61F) in March to 26C (79F) in May, but rain increases from 21mm to 87mm and it’s one of the cloudier seasons. April has 12 rain days with only 4 sun hours. The humidity hovers at 77-79%. Late March to early April brings the best chance of glimpsing the sun before summer’s heavy cloud roll in.
Summer (June to August)
Chengdu summers are hot, humid, and wet. July-August peak at 30C (86F) with humidity at 83-84%. July is the wettest month: 231mm across 17 rain days. Despite being the sunniest months, that only means 5 hours daily — still deeply overcast. The Sichuan Basin’s geography means summer heat feels oppressive because it never really cools at night (lows of 22-23C / 72-73F). Air conditioning is essential. The rainy season typically peaks in July with afternoon downpours.
Autumn (September to November)
September remains humid (83%) and wet (119mm). October is a transition month with rain dropping to 40mm and temperatures settling at 15-21C (59-70F). November is dry (16mm) but overcast with only 2 sun hours. This is the secondary shoulder season — cooler than summer but still very gray.
Winter (December to February)
Chengdu winters are mild but damp and overcast. January sees highs of 9C (48F), lows of 3C (37F), and only 2 sun hours. Snow is extremely rare — the city might see a dusting once every few years. Rain is minimal (6-12mm per month). Humidity stays high at 81-84%, making the cold feel penetrating. This is the dry season: the least rain of the year but the grayest skies.
Chengdu has a humid subtropical climate (Koppen Cwa) with mild winters, hot humid summers, and year-round cloud cover. The Sichuan Basin geography — a lowland ringed by mountains — traps moisture and creates China’s cloudiest major city with only 1,100 annual sunshine hours. The city sits at 500m (1,640ft) elevation. Annual rainfall averages 870mm, concentrated in summer months. Chengdu is famously foggy and overcast: the saying goes that Sichuan dogs bark at the sun because they see it so rarely.
Monthly Temperature and Rainfall in Chengdu
| Month | Avg High | Avg Low | Rain (mm) | Rain Days | Humidity | Sun Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9°C (48°F) | 3°C (37°F) | 8 | 6 | 83% | 2 |
| Feb | 12°C (54°F) | 5°C (41°F) | 12 | 7 | 81% | 2 |
| Mar | 16°C (61°F) | 8°C (46°F) | 21 | 9 | 79% | 3 |
| Apr | 22°C (72°F) | 13°C (55°F) | 47 | 12 | 78% | 4 |
| May | 26°C (79°F) | 17°C (63°F) | 87 | 14 | 77% | 4 |
| Jun | 28°C (82°F) | 21°C (70°F) | 107 | 15 | 80% | 4 |
| Jul | 30°C (86°F) | 23°C (73°F) | 231 | 17 | 84% | 5 |
| Aug | 30°C (86°F) | 22°C (72°F) | 224 | 16 | 83% | 5 |
| Sep | 25°C (77°F) | 19°C (66°F) | 119 | 15 | 83% | 3 |
| Oct | 21°C (70°F) | 15°C (59°F) | 40 | 12 | 84% | 2 |
| Nov | 16°C (61°F) | 10°C (50°F) | 16 | 7 | 84% | 2 |
| Dec | 11°C (52°F) | 4°C (39°F) | 6 | 5 | 84% | 2 |
Chengdu Weather by Season
Spring (March to May)
Spring warms from 16C (61F) in March to 26C (79F) in May, but rain increases from 21mm to 87mm and it’s one of the cloudier seasons. April has 12 rain days with only 4 sun hours. The humidity hovers at 77-79%. Late March to early April brings the best chance of glimpsing the sun before summer’s heavy cloud roll in.
Summer (June to August)
Chengdu summers are hot, humid, and wet. July-August peak at 30C (86F) with humidity at 83-84%. July is the wettest month: 231mm across 17 rain days. Despite being the sunniest months, that only means 5 hours daily — still deeply overcast. The Sichuan Basin’s geography means summer heat feels oppressive because it never really cools at night (lows of 22-23C / 72-73F). Air conditioning is essential. The rainy season typically peaks in July with afternoon downpours.
Autumn (September to November)
September remains humid (83%) and wet (119mm). October is a transition month with rain dropping to 40mm and temperatures settling at 15-21C (59-70F). November is dry (16mm) but overcast with only 2 sun hours. This is the secondary shoulder season — cooler than summer but still very gray.
Winter (December to February)
Chengdu winters are mild but damp and overcast. January sees highs of 9C (48F), lows of 3C (37F), and only 2 sun hours. Snow is extremely rare — the city might see a dusting once every few years. Rain is minimal (6-12mm per month). Humidity stays high at 81-84%, making the cold feel penetrating. This is the dry season: the least rain of the year but the grayest skies.
