Karakorum Weather in November

Entering into winter, Karakorum sees fairly low temperatures, scarce precipitation and short daytime in November. With further temperature drops in later half, Karakorum weather turns from wintry in early month to freezing cold progressively. Snow occurs in November, though not large, small-scaled snow view becomes available. Meanwhile, Karakorum is endowed with bright sunshine this month, which is another favorable factor for visitors to pay a visit in this cold and dry month.

Turning Severely Cold

Exhibitions in Karakorum Museum

In November, Karakorum’s temperature goes down steadily in general with occasional sharp drops. The daytime high temperatures mostly lie between -6 and 8 degrees Celsius (21 - 46 degrees Fahrenheit) and the nighttime low degrees fluctuate between -18 and -7°C (0 - 19°F). 

A significant turn usually occurs around middle November when its high values usually keep below freezing. In several days in late November, it even plunges to below -10°C (14°F), not to mention the low temperatures, which can decrease to around -20°C (-4°F). Therefore, Karakorum climate in November is severely cold that visitors must wrap themselves in thick clothes to protect every inch of skin from cold air. 

Light Snow, Small-scaled Snow View

With monthly average precipitation totaling only 4mm (0.16 in), the climate of Karakorum in November is characterized by extreme dryness. When waking up in the morning, you may feel like having spent days in desert with a sore throat and dry lips which suffer from thirst. 

The form of precipitation is snow in most time, but it does not fall frequently in Karakorum in November since there are only about 4 days with some snowfall on average. Though light as drizzles and showers, it brings thin snow cover which hardly melts away thanks to the freezing temperatures. After snow, the city is like dressed by white gauze, offering wonderful snow views to visitors.

Insufficient Daytime, but Sunny Mostly

Glittering Snow under Bright Sunshine

Karakorum experiences a large decrease in its daylength and sunlight hours during November. At the beginning of this month, the daylength is nearly 10 hours from 07:48 to 17:53; by the end of November, as the sunrise time becomes later at around 08:29 and sunset time earlier at 17:22, the daytime shortens to less than 9 hours. Considering the long distance among well-known attractions in Karakorum, the daytime is far from sufficient for visitors to travel around the town.

However, the weather of Karakorum in November is generally sunny, bringing an average sunlight duration of 6 hours per day. Though relatively short compared with other months, it is actually abundant compared with other worldwide destinations. At dusk, the sun casts an orange glow over on snow-covered grassland and turns it golden. 

Is November a Good Time to Visit Karakorum?

Obviously no, November is not a good time to visit Karakorum because of its terrible weather condition and bleak natural scenery. 

For tourists, extremely low temperature is the biggest challenge. Despite that the coldness is less unbearable in early November, visiting outdoors for a long time could still make you shiver in the cold. Plus, there is only one or two indoor attractions which are equipped with efficient heating systems, so visitors have little chance and limited ways to get warm even when visiting indoor scenic spots.

Thin Snow Cover in November

From the perspective of natural scenery, snow view is the only highlight in Karakorum in November. But it doesn’t cover a wide range with only thin snow cover on mountain peaks and shady places. Also, it is possible that almost no snow view can be seen if it hasn’t snowed for a long time. Therefore, it is not worthy to arrange a Karakorum trip just for its snow scenery.

However, if you still insist to visit Karakorum in November 2026, the following tips might help to improve your travel experience.

Tips for Dressing in November in Karakorum

Upper body: Thermal underwear is a must for the base layer and then wear padded blouses, heavy sweaters or fleece sweatshirts for the second layer. When temperature drops, you can put on thin down vest between the two layers. Long and heavy down coats, 3-in-1 windbreakers and mink coats are good choices for outer layer. They had better be less tight so as to add extra layer beneath when needed.

Lower body: Thick long johns should be worn to preserve heat under such low temperatures. The outer trousers need to be thick enough and windproof. You can choose from fleece-lined jeans, heavy sweatpants and padded jacket pants.

Shoes: It is most suggested to wear snow boots to keep your feet warm where coldness emerges from and spreads to upper body. Fleece-lined sneakers and padded walking boots with woolen socks are also acceptable.

Others: Be sure to prepare warm accessories including windproof gloves, woolen hats and large scarves in order to reduce the skin area exposed to cold air. Masks are also useful to keep warm and prevent low-quality air. Besides, don’t forget to pack skin-care products like body oil, hand cream and lip pomades to keep your skin moisturized in the dry climate.

Tips for Visiting Karakorum in November

1. When conducting sightseeing, you are suggested to arrange indoor attractions among the outdoor ones to avoid staying outside for a long-time. For example, you can first visit Orkhon Valley on vast grassland and then Karakorum Museum with heating supplied so that you can revive some heat in time and get warm enough for next outdoor attraction.

2. Though Orkhon River has frozen since November, it might not be thick enough yet to support the weight of an adult. Therefore, never try to step on or paly on it for the sake of your safety.