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The weather of Northern Thailand, including
Chiang Mai, differs from the traditional
divisions of spring, summer, autumn and
winter. Instead, the region has three
distinct seasons: the cool season, hot
season and rainy season. Chiang Mai is known
as the 'cool capital', and in comparison to
the sweaty heat of Bangkok, the climate is
far more agreeable.
Cool season
The most popular time for visiting Chiang
Mai ( weather wise) is the cool season,
which runs from December to the end of
February. It is in fact pleasantly chilly in
the evenings, and if you are planning on
visiting Chiang Mai at this time of year, it
would be wise to bring some all weather gear
along. Particularly if you intend hiring a
motorcycle to get around, or going on a
mountain trek, pack some warm kit. However,
don't leave out your summer clothes, as
midday temperatures can climb well into the
30s (Celsius).
Hot season
The weather start heating up in Chiang
Mai after New Year, and by mid-March, the
nippy nights of February are nothing but a
pleasant memory, with daytime maximums
regularly reaching 40C. Try to avoid a
holiday to Thailand during this time (April
to June) - unless you are completely
accustomed to tropical heat, you are likely
to find the humidity utterly draining.
Despite all the moisture in the air,
however, there is virtually no rain during
this period.
With the lack of water, blazing heat and
slash-and-burn agricultural practices, the
usually lush green jungle that covers the
city's surrounding hills turns to a charred
brown from fires that burn almost constantly
from January until the rains arrive. Not
only does this affect the vegetation, but a
trademark 'hot season haze' hangs over the
entire city and its surrounds, obscuring the
otherwise beautiful vistas.
Rainy season
The southwest monsoon usually arrives
from India at the end of May, and from then
until November the weather in Chiang Mai and
Northern Thailand get very, very wet. The
rainy season is characterized by torrential
downpours, but they tend to be sudden bursts
that only last for an hour or so, rather
than a steady stream of water. Although
mosquitoes are rife during this time, the
rainy season is otherwise a pleasant time to
visit the north. The rains bring respite
from the heat, and the landscape returns to
its strikingly gorgeous shade of green.
Rainfall is usually heaviest in September,
with an average precipitation of 250mm for
that month.
Generally speaking, the weather of
Northern Thailand is far more temperate than
central or Southern Thailand. The area is
more than 2000 kms from the equator and much
closer to the Tropic of Cancer. This coupled
with its mountainous terrain and location in
the Asian interior brings cooler
temperatures and less humidity. However
there is still quite a bit of precipitation
during the rainy season and the weather gets
very chilly once you leave Chiang Mai and
head up into the mountains.
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