ULAANBAATAR WEATHER

The climate of Mongolia is continental and extreme.

Atmospheric pressures are among the highest on earth. Sunshine is intense and clouds cover the sky practically only in summer. 280 days of full sun per year gave Mongolia its nickname of the Country of Blue Skies.

 

Ulaanbaatar holds the record of the coldest capital of the planet. Winters are long and harsh (record 2001: - 57°C) and may literally start at the end of September. Rivers or lakes can remain cold until June. Generally, there is not much snow in winter except the two extreme winters of 1999 and 2000 that brought heavy snow falls and caused adverse grazing conditions for livestock (known as dzud).

 

The summer months of July and August are usually rainy. Sometimes summer rains may even turn into snow high in the mountains. Most rains fall in the form of short but watery downpours and storms rather than continuous rains. Winds blow permanently on these high plateaus where nothing stops them. Another nickname of Mongolia due to winds is the Country of Seven Winds. In spring, strong winds often turn into devastating dust and sandstorms.