If you watched the 2022 Winter Olympics from home, you might be under the impression that Beijing is a winter wonderland. Winter enthusiasts want to know, does it snow in Beijing?
Despite the amount of snow you may have seen on TV when you watch the Winter Olympics, Beijing doesn’t get a lot of snow. On average, it may get one inch of snow each year. This is because the temperature rarely drops below freezing during the winter months.
Are you interested to know more about what winters are like in Beijing? You’ve come to the right page. Today, we’re going to discuss Beijing’s climate and when you can expect to see snow in this city. We will also explain why there was so much snow for the Winter Olympics. Keep reading to learn more.
Does It Snow in Beijing?
Snow isn’t something that people in Beijing see a lot of. On average, the city may only receive an inch of snow throughout the year. This is because the daily highs during winter are above the freezing point. While some nights may get cold enough to drop past 32 F/ 0 C, the ground doesn’t get cold enough for steady snow.
The winter season for Beijing typically starts towards the end of November and continues to the end of February. If there is snow, it will usually fall in January because that is the coldest month. When it does snow, it usually happens between December and January.
Let’s take a look at the average highs and lows of the winter months to give you a better idea:
| Month | Average Daily High | Average Daily Low |
| November | 50 F/ 10 C | 32 F/ 0 C |
| December | 39 F/ 4 C | 21 F/ -6 C |
| January | 35.5 F/ 2 C | 17.5 F/ -8 C |
| February | 53.5 F/ 12 C | 34 F/ 1 C |
What Are Winters in Beijing Like?
Even though Beijing doesn’t get a lot of snow, winters aren’t mild. If you travel to this city during the winter months, you can expect to run into some chilly weather. Winters in Beijing are cold and dry with low humidity. For this reason, you would need to pack winter gear to stay warm during these cold spells.
Should I Travel To Beijing in Winter?
We have a secret for you. One of the best times to travel to Beijing is during the winter months. There are several reasons why, and we’re going to start with the cost. Except for major holidays, like Christmas and New Year, the costs associated with traveling to Beijing are much lower during the winter. You can save money on flights, hotels, and admission to attractions.
Many different landscapes throughout the city’s regions are even more breathtaking during the winter months. The snow scenery in Beijing is a photographer’s dream. Another great thing about winter traveling to Beijing is seeing the ice lanterns in person.
We can’t discuss winter in Beijing without mentioning the Beijing Winter Tour. Several traditional festivals take place during this time. Tourists can enjoy various foods and learn more about Beijing’s culture.
Does It Rain A Lot in Beijing?
It does rain a lot in Beijing. However, it doesn’t rain in the wintertime. This city experiences a very dry winter. The rainy period usually starts at the beginning of April and lasts through to the end of October. Beijing is known for having hot and rainy summers, receiving most rainfalls throughout the month of July.
Beijing has a continental climate and is also affected by monsoon circulation. For this reason, winter months will feel dry and crisp, while summers will have tropical-like weather conditions. For this reason, residents can expect more damp days from June through August, with less in September through October.
Does Beijing Recieve Snow in March?
While the winter season typically wraps up in February, there are some years when the cold weather may also stay throughout March. During March, it’s common to have a cold spell where the temperature may drop to 30 F/ -1 C. During this time, it’s possible to get up to 1/2 an inch of snow.
That being said, the daily average temperature in March is around 52 F/ 11 C. During this month, there will still be some cold days, but the weather does start to warm up. While the cold weather does start to fade away, March still has high winds.
Why Was There So Much Snow For The Beijing Winter Olympics 2022?
Now that you know more about Beijing’s climate, you may wonder if your eyes were playing tricks on you. How did the city get such a significant snowfall for the Winter Olympics? After all, those beautiful mountains in Beijing were covered with white snow.
To sum it up, they cheated. The city brought in the fake stuff. They used over 350 machines to create fake snow for the winter activities. To create enough fake snow to cover the mountain tops for these activities, Beijing needed to use 800,000 cubic meters of water.
For the Beijing Winter Olympics, it was estimated that fake snow accounted for between 80 and 98 % of the snow used for these events.
Will Beijing Host the Winter Olympics Again?
It doesn’t look like Beijing will get the opportunity to host the Winter Olympics again. This is because of the lack of sustainable resources to create snowy conditions for the activity. Many people were shocked to find out that Beijing was the home of the 2022 Winter Olympics because of how little snow falls in the city.
While fake snow machines were brought in to do the job, they proved to be more of a problem than a solution. This is because people couldn’t help but pay attention to how wasteful they were. Not only did they need to use a lot of water (approximately 3 Olympic-sized swimming pools worth) and they used a lot of electricity.
Since Beijing doesn’t have the right climate to support these activities. In fact, the number of cities with the right renewable sources to host the Winter Olympics is shrinking.
What is There to Do in Beijing During Winter?
As we mentioned earlier, winter is a great time to travel to Beijing. If you decide to make the trip, you can participate in many fun activities. Let’s take a look at some of the best things to do in Beijing during winter.
Visit the Great Wall
What’s a trip to Beijing without taking a hike on the Great Wall? This is one of the 7 Wonders of the World, and it’s even more wonderful in the wintertime. If you’re lucky enough to see the Great Wall after a snowfall, you’re in for a treat.
Many people who have visited on a snowy day are captivated by how the wall looks as though it was dusted with silver.
Go to a Ski Resort
There are many great ski resorts near Beijing for skiing and snowboarding. This allows people that enjoy winter sports to find a resort that meets their needs.
Winter Fun in a Park
There are a lot of public parks in Beijing. During the winter months, these parks host activities like skating, sledding, dog sledding, and ice bikes. Each park has different attractions, giving you fun activities to try out for each day of your travels.
Enjoy the Hot Springs
Some of the greatest hidden treasures of Beijing are the hot springs. What better way to spend a cold day than relaxing in one of Beijing’s hot springs? Instead of going to the spa on your vacation, you can enjoy a natural hot spring. A day like this will have your skin looking and feeling good.
Final Thoughts
Does it snow in Beijing? While winter seasons do affect Beijing, the city doesn’t receive a lot of snow. Winters in Beijing are very dry and windy. While it gets cold, the temperature generally doesn’t drop low enough for snow to develop. On average, the city will receive about an inch of snow each year, if not less.
While Beijing does have very dry winter seasons, summer is quite the opposite. During the summer months, it’s very hot and humid, with a lot of rain. Beijing is a continental climate, so the winter and summer weather are completely different. Winters are brisk, while summers are tropical. The rainy season is much longer, lasting nearly 7 months.
Beijing was the host of the 2022 Winter Olympics. During these events, the mountains were covered by blankets of white snow. This snow was created artificially using snow machines. Over 350 machines were used for this event. Since this was very unsustainable, using a lot of water and electricity, the Winter Olympics likely won’t be hosted in Beijing again (or any similar climate).
