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Best Time for Shanxi: Datong to Pingyao
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Sweet spot: April, May, September. Computed from NASA POWER climate normals across the route's overnight towns, balancing temperature, rainfall and daylight.
💡 Good to know
- The loess plateau at its clearest — grotto Buddhas in raking light, Wutai's temple ridges above the haze, and Pingyao's walls gold at sunset.
- Bitter, dry cold — but Pingyao under lanterns and snow, nearly empty, is the old China photographers chase.
| Month | Low | High | Rain | Daylight | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | −14.4°C | −2.5°C | 3 mm | 9.6 h | |
| February | −10.7°C | 1.7°C | 7 mm | 10.5 h | |
| March | −5.3°C | 8.8°C | 10 mm | 11.7 h | |
| April | 0.7°C | 17.1°C | 26 mm | 13.0 h | ❄ |
| May | 7.5°C | 23.6°C | 40 mm | 14.1 h | |
| June | 13.1°C | 27.8°C | 66 mm | 14.7 h | |
| July | 15.9°C | 28.8°C | 123 mm | 14.4 h | |
| August | 14.3°C | 26.4°C | 109 mm | 13.5 h | |
| September | 8.6°C | 21.2°C | 76 mm | 12.2 h | |
| October | 1.2°C | 14.4°C | 31 mm | 11.0 h | ❄ |
| November | −6.2°C | 5.5°C | 13 mm | 9.8 h | ❄ |
| December | −13.0°C | −1.8°C | 3 mm | 9.3 h |