When to go · Ulaanbaatar
Ulaanbaatar in January
Avoid month. −20 to −30 °C (−4 to −22 °F), smog; Tsagaan Sar closures some years.Avoid month. −4 to −22 °F (−20 to −30 °C), smog; Tsagaan Sar closures some years.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Avoid
- Temperature
- −16°C (3°F)3°F (−16°C) / −26°C (−15°F)−15°F (−26°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 1
- Crowds
- Low
- Mongolia overall
- Prices
- Low
- Mongolia overall
Verdict
−20 to −30 °C (−4 to −22 °F), smog; Tsagaan Sar closures some years.−4 to −22 °F (−20 to −30 °C), smog; Tsagaan Sar closures some years.
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than January?
January is rated avoid. These months rate higher:
Weather in January
- UlaanbaatarHighs around -16 °C (3 °F), lows around -26 °C (−15 °F), rain on about 1 dayHighs around 3 °F (-16 °C), lows around −15 °F (-26 °C), rain on about 1 day
- Ulaanbaatar and the centre, Mongolia · Ulaanbaatar, Terelj, Kharkhorin, Orkhon valleysmoke haze
Coldest capital in the world: January averages about −20 °C (−4 °F). Coal and ger-stove smoke make winter air among the worst anywhere Nov–Feb. Summer is 20–28 °C (68–82 °F) by day with afternoon showers in July–August.Coldest capital in the world: January averages about −4 °F (−20 °C). Coal and ger-stove smoke make winter air among the worst anywhere Nov–Feb. Summer is 68–82 °F (20–28 °C) by day with afternoon showers in July–August.
Long winter season
Deep cold, snow and ice, quiet museums, Tsagaan Sar in Feb.
Watch: Smog, −20 to −30 °C, ice, closed camps.
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.
New Year
Dec 31–Jan 1
Fireworks and lights on the square in deep cold; restaurants book out.
Tsagaan Sar (Lunar New Year) big impact
Feb 2027 (lunar, moves yearly — check) · Mongolia
Three official days, but many shops and restaurants close for a week; families visit elders, transport out of the city is packed.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Mongolia overall
- Low
- Prices · Mongolia overall
- Low
Mongolia overall: −20 to −30 °C and the worst smog of the year in Ulaanbaatar; city museums only.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Ulaanbaatar, side by side.
Verdict
Jan: Avoid
Jun: Great (better)
Daytime high
Jan: -16 °C (3 °F)3 °F (-16 °C)
Jun: 22 °C (72 °F)72 °F (22 °C)
Night low
Jan: -26 °C (−15 °F)−15 °F (-26 °C)
Jun: 9 °C (48 °F)48 °F (9 °C)
Rain days
Jan: 1 (better)
Jun: 9
Crowds
Jan: Low
Jun: Medium
Prices
Jan: Low
Jun: Medium
Festivals listed
Jan: 2
Jun: 1
January: −20 to −30 °C, smog; Tsagaan Sar closures some years.
June: Warm, long days; camps open.
Ulaanbaatar: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat and gloves for mornings and evenings