The reasons for Kunming’s climate

Kunming has a low-latitude plateau mountain monsoon climate. Due to its low latitude and high altitude, mountains such as Wumeng Mountain in the north block the cold air from the south. The south is affected by the warm and humid airflow of the Bay of Bengal ocean monsoon. In addition, Dianchi Lake and Yangtze River Zonghai regulates the temperature and humidity, creating a uniquely pleasant climate with no scorching heat in summer, no severe cold in winter, and a spring-like climate all year round. The temperature difference throughout the year is small. The annual average temperature in the urban area is about 15℃, the average temperature in the hottest month is 19.7℃, and the average temperature in the coldest month is 7.5℃. The annual average sunshine hours is 2,400 hours, and the frost-free period is about 230 days. Kunming has abundant rainfall, with an average annual rainfall of about 1,000 mm, and 85% of the rainfall is concentrated from May to October. Because the temperature and humidity are suitable, the sunshine is long, the frost period is short, the visibility is good, the flowers bloom all year round, and the vegetation is evergreen all year round, it is known as the "Spring City".

Kunming is located on a low-latitude plateau with complex and diverse landforms, large terrain elevation differences, and obvious vertical and horizontal differences in climate. In the mountainous areas, there are scenes such as "flowers blooming at the foot of the mountain and snow on the mountain", and "there are four seasons in the mountain, and the weather is different ten miles away". According to meteorological data statistics since the founding of the People's Republic of China, the annual average temperature in Kunming is 14.5°C, the average temperature in the hottest month (July) is 19.7°C, and the average temperature in the coldest month (January) is 7.5°C, with an annual temperature difference of 12 to 13°C. The annual precipitation is about 103l mm, the relative humidity is 74%, and the humidity is not large. The annual frost-free period has been more than 240 days in recent years. There are many sunny days throughout the year, with an average of 2445.6 hours of sunshine in several years and a sunshine rate of 56%. The sun's projection angle is large all year round, and the average annual total radiation reaches 129.78 kcal/cm2, including 62.78 kcal/cm2 in the rainy season and 67 kcal/cm2 in the dry season. There is not much change between the two seasons, so the poet Yang Sheng'an praised Kunming as " The weather is always like February and March, and the flowers and branches are always spring."