Climate
The Gobi is a cold desert, with frost and occasionally snow occurring on its dunes. Besides being quite far north, it is also located on a plateau roughly 910–1,520 meters (3,000–5,000 ft) above sea level, which contributes to its low temperatures. An average of approximately 194 millimeters (7.6 in) of rain falls per year in the Gobi. Additional moisture reaches parts of the Gobi in winter as snow is blown by the wind from the Siberian Steppes. These winds cause the Gobi to reach extremes of temperature ranging from –40°C (–40°F) in winter to +50°C (122°F) in summer.
The climate of the Gobi is one of great extremes, combined with rapid changes of temperature of as much as 35 °C (95 °F). These can occur not only seasonally but within 24 hours.
| Sivantse (1190 m) | Ulaanbaatar (1150 m) | |
|---|---|---|
| Annual mean | −2.5 °C (27.5 °F) | 2.8 °C (37.0 °F) |
| January mean | −26.5 °C (−15.7 °F) | −16.5 °C (2.3 °F) |
| July mean | 17.5 °C (63.5 °F) | 19.0 °C (66.2 °F) |
| Extremes | −43 to 38 °C (-45 to 100 °F) | −47 to 33.9 °C (-53 to 93 °F) |
In southern Mongolia the temperature has been recorded as low as −32.8 °C (−27.0 °F), and in Alxa, Inner Mongolia, it rises as high as 37 °C (99 °F) in July.
Average winter minimums are a frigid −40 °C (−40 °F) while summertime temperatures are warm to hot, with highs that range up to 50 °C (122 °F). Most of the precipitation falls during the summer.
Although the southeast monsoons reach the southeast parts of the Gobi, the area throughout this region is generally characterized by extreme dryness, especially during the winter, when the Siberian anticyclone is at its strongest. Hence, the icy sandstorms and snowstorms of spring and early summer plus early January (winter)
Read more about this topic: Gobi Desert
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