Beijing has four seasons. The summers are blazing hot, humid, and rainy. Winters are freezing cold with bitter wind, but bright, sunny skies and little rain or snow. Summer sees the most tourists, while winter has the least. Most tourist activities in Beijing are outdoors, so it is important to have good weather while visiting the city. If you must visit Beijing in summer, it is best to travel as early in June or as late in August as possible so as to avoid the worst of the heat and rain of midsummer. Weather statistics charts indicate average highs of 29-30C (85-86F) in June, July and August - though it will seem hotter and average lows of -5 to -8 (17-22F) in December through February. July and August are periods of heaviest rain with as much as 8.8 inches of rain (22cm) in July. Summer seems hotter as it is quite humid and winter seems colder due to strong winds.
The best times to visit Beijing are fall (October-November) and Spring (May). Although April is generally a good time to visit Beijing, there are sandstorms that hit the city. These can make it very unpleasant to be outdoors. In April 2006, there were about 8 days with light to severe sandstorms.
It is important to note that the first week of May and October are national holidays with much of the population travelling and visiting parks. It is best to avoid travelling in China during these times, though it can be interesting to see the decorations and crowds in Beijing during the national day holiday on and following October 1. October is also a busy month for business travel, so business-class hotels can be heavily booked.
Although locals flock to Beijing's Fragrant Hills (Xiang Shan) to see the fall foliage, most of the trees are evergreens and there is not much fall color to see.
Although snowfall is minimal, light snow can bring the city to a standstill and it is best not to try to go to the Great Wall until the roads are cleared. For those who do not mind the cold and do not like crowds, winter is a good time to visit Beijing.
