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What type of climate does Shanxi have?

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Fogong Temple: timber pagoda — Shanxi Timber pagoda of the Fogong Temple, 1056, Song dynasty; at Yingxian, Shanxi province, China.

Shanxi has a semiarid climate. It is important to distinguish this from Shaanxi, a different province with a more varied climate influenced by the Qin Mountains.12

In Shanxi, the mean annual precipitation ranges from 16 to 26 inches (400 to 650 mm), with the majority of rainfall occurring between June and September. The region experiences significant temperature variations; for instance, mean temperatures in January and July are 19 °F (−7 °C) and 75 °F (24 °C) at Taiyuan, respectively, while they are 3 °F (−16 °C) and 72 °F (22 °C) at Datong.1

Winter droughts are common in Shanxi because the plateau is exposed to dry northwesterly winds originating from the Mongolian Plateau. During the summer, the rain-bearing southeastern monsoon is obstructed by the Taihang Mountains. Additionally, the province is frequently affected by natural hazards such as hailstones and floods, particularly along the Fen River.1