Chiang Mai is rarely comfortable to be outside at midday. It comes closest in mid January, and even then it is too hot. For sun, aim for late November to February.
When to go five ratings · thirty-six ten-day sections · click a cell to read it
The sun season here runs from late November to February. It peaks in late January, at 76. The weakest stretch is from mid April to early June, when it drops to 9, mostly because it is too hot. The clearest skies come in March, when the sky is typically 23% covered at midday (mostly clear).
Chiang Mai never quite rates Good for being outside. It comes closest in mid January, at 38, mostly because it is too hot. Avoid March to October for this: it falls to 1, mostly because it is too hot.
Walking is not what Chiang Mai is for: the Active outdoors rating tops out at 12, mostly because it is too warm.
The year, measured
The average temperature in Chiang Mai over the whole year is 27°C. April is the hottest month, with highs of about 35°C; January is the coldest, with lows of about 17°C. Chiang Mai has no sharply defined rainy season: the chance of rain on a given day runs from 44% in January, the driest month, to 64% in September, the wettest. Winds in Chiang Mai are highest in May, averaging 1.3 m/s (5 km/h), and lightest in January, at 0.7 m/s (3 km/h). The prevailing wind is from the SW. The clearest skies in Chiang Mai come in March, when the sky is typically 25% covered; August is the cloudiest month, at 78%.
Month by month Chiang Mai climate by month: average temperatures year round · click a month to read it
| Month | High | Low | Feels like | Chance of rain | Cloud | Wind | Being outside | Sun | Walking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 27°C | 17°C | 28°C | 44% | 37% | 0.7 m/s | 35 | 73 | 9 |
| February | 30°C | 19°C | 31°C | 54% | 29% | 1.0 m/s | 16 | 71 | 4 |
| March | 33°C | 21°C | 35°C | 50% | 25% | 0.9 m/s | 3 | 34 | 1 |
| April | 35°C | 24°C | 37°C | 53% | 38% | 1.1 m/s | 2 | 13 | 0 |
| May | 33°C | 27°C | 37°C | 63% | 58% | 1.3 m/s | 1 | 10 | 0 |
| June | 32°C | 26°C | 36°C | 55% | 70% | 1.3 m/s | 1 | 13 | 0 |
| July | 31°C | 25°C | 35°C | 57% | 77% | 1.2 m/s | 2 | 15 | 1 |
| August | 30°C | 25°C | 35°C | 61% | 78% | 1.1 m/s | 2 | 17 | 1 |
| September | 30°C | 24°C | 35°C | 64% | 70% | 0.9 m/s | 2 | 17 | 1 |
| October | 30°C | 24°C | 34°C | 63% | 59% | 0.8 m/s | 4 | 25 | 1 |
| November | 30°C | 21°C | 33°C | 50% | 43% | 0.7 m/s | 6 | 48 | 2 |
| December | 28°C | 18°C | 29°C | 55% | 36% | 0.7 m/s | 28 | 68 | 7 |
High and low are the warmest and coolest of four readings a day — midnight, 6am, noon and 6pm — so a true overnight low can sit a degree or two under them. Chance of rain, cloud and wind are the day’s average; feels-like and the three ratings (each out of 100: Good from 55, Ideal from 80) are read at midday.
Seasons, and the year in short Chiang Mai weather by season
Year round, Chiang Mai has days of about 27°C at their warmest in January, its coolest month, and 35°C in April, its warmest; the coolest hours of the day run from 17°C to 27°C through the year, and the average temperature over the year is 27°C around the clock. Rain is most likely around September and least likely around January. Every figure here is a decade of observations blended into one representative year, so it reads as what this date is usually like, not a forecast for one particular day.
Chiang Mai weather in winterDecember to February
Winter in Chiang Mai has typical daily highs of about 28°C and lows of about 18°C, with a 51% chance of rain on a given day.
Chiang Mai weather in springMarch to May
Spring in Chiang Mai has typical daily highs of about 34°C and lows of about 24°C, with a 55% chance of rain on a given day.
Chiang Mai weather in summerJune to August
Summer in Chiang Mai has typical daily highs of about 31°C and lows of about 25°C, with a 58% chance of rain on a given day.
Chiang Mai weather in autumnSeptember to November
Autumn in Chiang Mai has typical daily highs of about 30°C and lows of about 23°C, with a 59% chance of rain on a given day.
When is the rainy season in Chiang Mai?
Chiang Mai has no sharply defined rainy season: the chance of rain on a given day runs from 44% in January, the driest month, to 64% in September, the wettest.
What time of year is Chiang Mai windiest?
Winds in Chiang Mai are highest in May, averaging 1.3 m/s (5 km/h), and lightest in January, at 0.7 m/s (3 km/h). The prevailing wind is from the SW.
What is the average temperature in Chiang Mai year round?
The average temperature in Chiang Mai over the whole year is 27°C. April is the hottest month, with highs of about 35°C; January is the coldest, with lows of about 17°C.
Where to go instead in mid April, the weakest time here for being outside
How this is worked out
Every figure is a decade of weather-station observations blended into one typical year, in ten-day sections. The ratings, the chart and the feels-like column are read at midday local solar time. Being outside is the Easy outdoors rating, Sun is Sunbathing and Walking is Active outdoors, each out of 100: Good from 55, Ideal from 80. They describe what a time of year is usually like here, not a forecast. The dotted links open the map at that time of year; set its time of day to midday to see these numbers.