When to go · Beijing
Beijing in February
Mixed month. Cold; Spring Festival closures some years.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Mixed
- Temperature
- 5°C (41°F)41°F (5°C) / −6°C (21°F)21°F (−6°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 4
- Crowds
- High
- China overall
- Prices
- High
- China overall
Verdict
Cold; Spring Festival closures some years.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than February?
February is rated mixed. These months rate higher:
Weather in February
- BeijingHighs around 5 °C (41 °F), lows around -6 °C (21 °F), rain on about 4 daysHighs around 41 °F (5 °C), lows around 21 °F (-6 °C), rain on about 4 days
- North China, China · Beijing, Tianjin, Xi'an, Datong, Pingyaocool
Continental: dry winters down to −10 °C (14 °F), hot humid summers with thunderstorms. Dust and smog peak in late winter and spring; September–October is the clear season.Continental: dry winters down to 14 °F (−10 °C), hot humid summers with thunderstorms. Dust and smog peak in late winter and spring; September–October is the clear season.
Dec–Feb season
Very cold and dry; clearer air on good days, but heating-season pollution on bad ones; Spring Festival brings closures.
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Spring Festival (Chinese New Year) check
Date moves yearly; check this year's date · Whole city
Many shops and restaurants close for several days; transport is packed for weeks around it; some fireworks restrictions apply in the centre.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · China overall
- High
- Prices · China overall
- High
China overall: Spring Festival in most years: closures and sold-out transport for a week or more.
High-price month: see what to book ahead.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Beijing, side by side.
Verdict
Feb: Mixed
May: Great (better)
Daytime high
Feb: 5 °C (41 °F)41 °F (5 °C)
May: 26 °C (79 °F)79 °F (26 °C)
Night low
Feb: -6 °C (21 °F)21 °F (-6 °C)
May: 13 °C (55 °F)55 °F (13 °C)
Rain days
Feb: 4 (better)
May: 8
Crowds
Feb: High
May: High
Prices
Feb: High
May: High
Festivals listed
Feb: 1
May: 2
February: Cold; Spring Festival closures some years.
May: Warm and dry; May Day week is crowded.
Beijing: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat and gloves for mornings and evenings
- Layers: a fleece or light jacket