Does anyone know how to access recent historical annual weather data? Not the average temps from the climate chart that is.
I was wondering if this apparently crap weather, and last two years, is uncharacteristic, or does it just seem that way.
Don't know if his is what you are looking for:
As above, plus: www.worldweatheronline.com/[...]
When I first showed up in 2000, everyone was talking about the great blizzard of 1999, where there was apparently about a foot of snow on the ground for several days (meaning it stayed cold for quite some time).
I've seen snowfall in several of the years after that, and every year seemed to have at least one proper cold spell.
This cold snap is somewhat abnormal, but not freakish.
I think these cold snaps are quite normal. When you spend as much time as I do in nature and especially up in the mountains; you realize most of Yunnan is at a critical boundary in elevation. Just above us at 3500 meters it's always very cold, therefore the temperature gradient from surface(hot) to 3500m(cold) is quite abrupt.
It's apparent in the vegetation which grows below 2000m, (subtropical), and the treeline above 3000m, above 3000 m is all grassy..some exceptions further west.
Another factor of these cold snaps which push down from the north east, (eastern china) are very humid which rarely push "up" our plateau westward than central Yunnan but they can linger over the east side of the Yunnan plateau for days.Check the weather in Baoshan when it's cold in Kunming.
One more note....if yunnan would have much more cloud during the dry period (winter) it would be much colder.....way colder.
I gotta agree with Mike, a few cold days once or twice a year in Kunming is not unusual. While I do like Kunming weather, the "Spring City" thing isn't quite right. I would head south to Jinghong every winter to find warmer days and nights.
For me, after six years in Beijing, Kunming weather is pretty darn good in both summer and winter.
Another thing to note: Although Yunnan's weather is quite unique and comfortable with the odd cold snap one factor which effects the whole planet is the jet stream is fluctuating more. It wanders further north in summer and further south in winter..it's a big dice roll either way....
beijing winter is not much colder than now, although the winter lasts longer. but with heating. i say beijing wins out for winter.
Heating is not the problem in Kunming, it's the lack of insulation in housing
