About Sichuan

The Best Time for Traveling to Sichuan

Sichuan is located in the subtropical area. Influenced by complicated topography and distinctive monsoon circulations, it has a unique climate. Its eastern part has a mid subtropical climate and its western plateau has a plateau climate. 3000-4000 meters above the sea level is in the cold temperate zone, 4000-5000 meters the sub-polar zone and over 5000 meters the permanent ice and snow zone. The mountainous areas in southwestern Sichuan has a vertical climate zone climate, featuring the south subtropical zone climate, mid subtropical climate zone climate, north subtropical zone climate, warm temperate zone climate, temperate zone climate and plateau climate from the south to the north.

Situated in the monsoon climate zone, Sichuan has a dry climate in winter with a small amount of precipitation under the influence of continental dry and cold air mass. In summer when it’s influenced by humid marine air mass, it welcomes a great deal of rainfalls. Its eastern basin welcomes its rainy season from April to October, its western basin from May to September and the areas of Panzhihua and Xichang from May to October. Most of the areas in Sichuan welcome an annual precipitation of as much as 1000 mm. And the precipitation in Sichuan varies a lot in different areas. Generally speaking, the amount of precipitation decreases from the east to the west, from the basin to the plateau and from the east to the middle of the basin. It rains a great deal in three areas: the middle of the Sichuan Basin, western Sichuan Basin and the middle and north part of the areas of Panzhihua and Xichang.

The annual average temperature in the eastern basin areas is 14-19℃, 1℃ higher than that of the same latitude. The average temperature in January is 3-8℃ and it’s higher in the rim areas of the basin. The average temperature in April is 15-19℃ and July is the hottest month with an average temperature of 25-29℃. The average temperature in October is 15-19℃, close to the annual one. It has obvious seasonal changes: spring lasts about 3 months with a temperature of 10-21.9℃; summer lasts more than 3 months with a temperature higher than 22℃; autumn lasts about 2.5 months with a temperature of 20-21.9℃; winter lasts more than 3.5 months with a temperature lower than 10℃.