Zhangye Climate

Zhangye City has a temperate continental arid climate characterized by abundant sunlight and heat, large diurnal temperature swings, frequent sandstorms, ample sunshine and strong solar radiation, dry weather with little rainfall, and uneven precipitation distribution. Zhangye experiences rapid spring temperature increases, hot and dry summers with concentrated rainfall, short autumns, and long, cold winters. The average temperature is 7.8°C, with extreme lows reaching -28.2°C and highs reaching 39.8°C, resulting in an average annual temperature range of 30.9°C. The frost-free period averages 146 days, with a maximum of 194 days and a minimum of 108 days. The average annual sunshine duration is 3,076 hours, with an annual total radiation of 103 kcal/cm2. Annual precipitation ranges from 112.3 to 354 mm, and annual evaporation ranges from 1,648 to 2,154 mm. The regional distribution trend of annual evaporation increases from southeast to northwest, with the minimum in mountainous areas ranging from 1625 to 1798 mm and the maximum in Sichuan area ranging from 1843 to 2280 mm. The annual evaporation in the whole region is 1625 to 2280 mm, and in the Qilian Mountain area it is 1535 to 1729 mm.