Climate of Tibet

The climate in Tibet is extremely harsh. Only 0.2 to 0.3 percent of the Tibet's land can be cultivated. The temperature is low, the air is thin, and the air pressure and oxygen levels are considerably lower in the Tibetan Plateau than in other areas of similar altitudes. Because Tibet lays so high and is surrounded by the Himalayas on the south side, there isn't much rain in Tibet. (the Himalayas stop the clouds and the rain comes down on the other side, in Nepal) . But still Tibet is a large country and so it's logical that you can not speak of 1 climate. In the western part of Tibet you will find that the weather can quickly change all of a sudden. Lhasa and Shingatse do not show so much difference and in the summer moths you could even say that the climate is rather mild. (see the charts).

In the springtime there often is a lot of wind. The summer months are the months that can be rainy. In July and August usually around half of the total annual amount of rain falls. The start of the autumn is usually very clear and the daytime temperatures at the lower Tibetan altitudes are rather nice. The nights can be rather cold though. In the winter there is a lot of snow especially in the mountains and high passes. In Lhasa , Shigatse and Tsetang that lay in the lower valleys do not get a lot of snow.