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The climate of Uzbekistan and its population
Botirkulov J
Ne’matova O
Rashidova D
Janibekova S
Mirzaeva S
In Uzbekistan, the climate is arid continental in the vast steppe plains of the central-western part, while it's still continental but moderately rainy (and snowy in winter) in the east, where hills and mountains are found.Winter is cold, especially in the north: the average temperature in January is around -5 °C in the northernmost areas (the Aral Sea and the northern part of the Kyzyl Kum Desert), while it's slightly above freezing (0 °C or 32 °F) in the central cities of the ancient Silk Road (Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara), and it goes up to 5 °C (41 °F) in the extreme south (see Termez). Summer is hot: the average temperature in July ranges from 26/27 °C (79/81 °F) in the north to 30 °C (86 °F) in the south. In the mountains, the temperature naturally decreases with altitude. Uzbekistan is exposed to cold air masses from Siberia, especially in the north-west, but also in the center-south, where, however, they alternate with warmer air masses coming from the south. The clash of different air masses can cause strong winds, for instance, the warm wind blowing from the south-west, which can bring dust storms.
Precipitation is typical of desert and semi-desert climates in the west, while it's slightly higher, at a semi-arid steppe level, in the central-eastern part. In the mountains, precipitation increases, especially on the more exposed slopes. Summer is sunny, and it's the driest season across the country.
TashkentIn the capital, Tashkent, located in the east of the country, at 400 meters (1,300 feet) above sea level, the average temperature ranges from 2.5 °C (37 °F) in January to 27.5 °C (81.5 °F) in July. From the mountains located south of the city, a dry down-slope wind can blow throughout the year, able to raise the temperature by several degrees. In the last few decades, the winter temperature has increased by a few degrees, and also the summer temperature, though to a lesser extent, as happened in many countries of the former Soviet Union. During winter, however, snowfalls and cold waves are quite frequent, though usually less intense than in the past, for instance, in January 1969, the temperature reached -29 °C (-20 °F), while during the more recent cold wave of January 2008, it reached -18 °C (0 °F).In spring, from March to early May, clashes of air masses cause frequent winds, rain and sudden changes in temperature.
The eastern part of Uzbekistan is home to several mountain ranges, such as the Pamir-Alaj, where the highest mountain in the country is found, Khazret Sultan, 4,643 meters (15,233 feet) high. More to the north, in the region of Tashkent, there is another mountainous area (the western Tien-Shan), where we find the Ugam-Chatkal National Park, which has a diverse landscape, with lakes, forests, and canyons.Southern plainIn southern Uzbekistan, we find a flat area, where, in comparison with the eastern cities, the climate is slightly milder in winter and hotter in summer. The rains are very poor
In northwestern and central Uzbekistan, we find desert and semi-desert areas, where the climate is characterized by very cold winters, with averages below freezing, and hot summers.The central-western part of the country is occupied by the vast Kyzyl Kum Desert (or Qyzylqum), where the temperature can reach -30 °C (-22 °F) in winter and 50 °C (122 °F) in summer, while in the far west, we find the Ustyurt Plateau, another desert area, which, despite its name, has an average altitude of around 200 meters (650 feet). The main river, Amu Darya, flows towards the west and eventually reaches the area of the Aral Sea, a large salt lake which was once fed by the same river, but has shrunk over the decades because of exploitation for agriculture. Today, the river opens into a large delta, which partly dries up in the desert, while in the south-west, a smaller lake, Sarygamysh, was born from a branch of the river.
Aral Sea
In the area that was once occupied by the southern part of the Aral Sea, in the north-west of the country (the rest of the lake is located in Kazakhstan), winter is definitely cold, in fact, the temperature remains below freezing even during the day for weeks. Summer is a bit shorter and a bit cooler, with highs around 34/35 °C (93/95 °F), even though the highest peaks exceed 40 °C (104 °F).
The best times to visit Uzbekistan are spring and autumn in order to avoid the climate extremes to which the country is subject. In particular, in most of the country (Tashkent, Samarkand, Fergana valley), you can choose April and October, while in the north-west (see the Aral Sea), you can choose the periods from mid-April to mid-May and from mid-September to mid-October.
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