Editing Geography of Mongolia (section)

=== Overview ===
[[File:Koppen-Geiger Map v2 MNG 1991–2020.svg|alt=Köppen–Geiger climate classification map at 1-km resolution for Mongolia 1991–2020|left|thumb|400x400px|Köppen–Geiger climate classification map at 1-km resolution for Mongolia 1991–2020]]
Mongolia has a high elevation, with a cold and dry climate.<ref name=":0" /> It has an extreme continental climate with long, very cold winters and short summers, during which most precipitation falls.<ref name=":0" /> The country averages 257 cloudless days a year, and it is usually at the center of a region of high atmospheric pressure.<ref name=":0" /> Precipitation is highest in the north, which averages {{convert|200|to|350|mm|in|1|sp=us}} per year, and lowest in the south, which receives {{convert|100|to|200|mm|in|1|sp=us}}.<ref name=":0" /> The extreme south is the [[Gobi Desert]], some regions of which receive no precipitation at all in most years.<ref name=":0" /> The name Gobi is a Mongol word meaning desert, depression, salt marsh, or steppe, but which usually refers to a category of arid rangeland with insufficient vegetation to support marmots but with enough to support camels.<ref name=":0" /> Mongols distinguish Gobi from desert proper, although the distinction is not always apparent to outsiders unfamiliar with the Mongolian landscape.<ref name=":0" /> Gobi rangelands are fragile and are easily destroyed by overgrazing, which results in expansion of the true desert, a stony waste where not even [[Bactrian camel]]s can survive.<ref name=":0" />

Average temperatures over most of the country are below freezing from November through March and are above freezing in April and October.<ref name=":0" /> Winter nights can drop to {{convert|-40|°C|1}} in most years.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.weatheronline.co.uk/reports/climate/Mongolia.htm|title=Climate of the World: Mongolia &#124; weatheronline.co.uk|website=www.weatheronline.co.uk|access-date=2020-10-30|archive-date=2019-12-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191203173643/https://www.weatheronline.co.uk/reports/climate/Mongolia.htm|url-status=live}}</ref> Summer extremes reach as high as {{convert|38|°C|1}} in the southern Gobi region and {{convert|33|°C|1}} in [[Ulaanbaatar]].<ref name=":0" /> Most of Mongolia is covered by [[discontinuous permafrost]] (grading to continuous at high altitudes),{{Citation needed|date=October 2020}} which makes construction, road building, and mining difficult.<ref name=":0" /> All rivers and freshwater lakes freeze over in the winter, and smaller streams commonly freeze to the bottom.<ref name=":0" /> Ulaanbaatar lies at {{convert|1351|m|ft|0|sp=us}} above sea level in the valley of the [[Tuul River]].<ref name=":0" /> Located in the relatively well-watered north, it receives an annual average of {{convert|310|mm|in|1}} of precipitation, almost all of which falls in July and in August.<ref name=":0" /> Ulaanbaatar has an average annual temperature of {{convert|-2.9|°C}} and a frost-free period extending on the average from mid-May to late August.<ref name=":0" />

Mongolia's weather is characterized by extreme variability and short-term unpredictability in the summer, and the multiyear averages conceal wide variations in precipitation, dates of frosts, and occurrences of blizzards and spring dust storms.<ref name=":0" /> Such weather poses severe challenges to human and livestock survival.<ref name=":0" /> Official statistics list less than 1% of the country as arable, 8 to 10% as forest, and the rest as pasture or desert.<ref name=":0" /> Grain, mostly wheat, is grown in the valleys of the Selenge river system in the north, but yields fluctuate widely and unpredictably as a result of the amount and the timing of rain and the dates of killing frosts.<ref name=":0" />

{{Weather box
|width = auto
|location = Ulaanbaatar city weather station (WMO identifier: 44292)
|metric first = yes
|single line = yes
|collapsed = yes
|Jan record high C = -2.6
|Feb record high C = 11.3
|Mar record high C = 17.8
|Apr record high C = 28.0
|May record high C = 33.5
|Jun record high C = 38.3
|Jul record high C = 39.0
|Aug record high C = 34.9
|Sep record high C = 31.5
|Oct record high C = 22.5
|Nov record high C = 13.0
|Dec record high C = 6.1
|year record high C = 39.0
|Jan high C = -15.6
|Feb high C = -9.6
|Mar high C = -0.7
|Apr high C = 9.7
|May high C = 17.8
|Jun high C = 22.5
|Jul high C = 24.5
|Aug high C = 22.3
|Sep high C = 16.7
|Oct high C = 7.6
|Nov high C = -5.0
|Dec high C = -13.5
|year high C = 6.4
|Jan mean C = -21.6
|Feb mean C = -16.6
|Mar mean C = -7.4
|Apr mean C = 2.0
|May mean C = 10.1
|Jun mean C = 15.7
|Jul mean C = 18.2
|Aug mean C = 16.0
|Sep mean C = 9.6
|Oct mean C = 0.5
|Nov mean C = -11.9
|Dec mean C = -19.0
|year mean C = -0.4
|Jan low C = -25.9
|Feb low C = -22.2
|Mar low C = -13.6
|Apr low C = -4.3
|May low C = 3.3
|Jun low C = 9.6
|Jul low C = 12.9
|Aug low C = 10.6
|Sep low C = 3.6
|Oct low C = -4.8
|Nov low C = -15.7
|Dec low C = -22.9
|year low C = -5.8
|Jan record low C = -42.2
|Feb record low C = -42.2
|Mar record low C = -38.9
|Apr record low C = -26.1
|May record low C = -16.1
|Jun record low C = -3.9
|Jul record low C = -0.2
|Aug record low C = -2.2
|Sep record low C = -13.4
|Oct record low C = -22.0
|Nov record low C = -37.0
|Dec record low C = -37.8
|year record low C = -42.2
|Jan precipitation mm = 2
|Feb precipitation mm = 3
|Mar precipitation mm = 4
|Apr precipitation mm = 10
|May precipitation mm = 21
|Jun precipitation mm = 46
|Jul precipitation mm = 64
|Aug precipitation mm = 70
|Sep precipitation mm = 27
|Oct precipitation mm = 10
|Nov precipitation mm = 6
|Dec precipitation mm = 4
|year precipitation mm = 267
|Jan rain days = 0.1
|Feb rain days = 0.03
|Mar rain days = 0.2
|Apr rain days = 2
|May rain days = 7
|Jun rain days = 13
|Jul rain days = 16
|Aug rain days = 14
|Sep rain days = 8
|Oct rain days = 2
|Nov rain days = 0.2
|Dec rain days = 0.2
|year rain days = 63
|Jan snow days = 8
|Feb snow days = 7
|Mar snow days = 7
|Apr snow days = 7
|May snow days = 3
|Jun snow days = 0.3
|Jul snow days = 0.2
|Aug snow days = 0.4
|Sep snow days = 2
|Oct snow days = 6
|Nov snow days = 8
|Dec snow days = 10
|year snow days = 59
|Jan humidity = 78
|Feb humidity = 73
|Mar humidity = 61
|Apr humidity = 48
|May humidity = 46
|Jun humidity = 54
|Jul humidity = 60
|Aug humidity = 63
|Sep humidity = 59
|Oct humidity = 60
|Nov humidity = 71
|Dec humidity = 78
|year humidity = 62
|Jan sun = 179.1
|Feb sun = 204.8
|Mar sun = 265.2
|Apr sun = 262.5
|May sun = 299.3
|Jun sun = 269.0
|Jul sun = 249.3
|Aug sun = 258.3
|Sep sun = 245.7
|Oct sun = 227.5
|Nov sun = 177.4
|Dec sun = 156.4
|year sun = 2794.5
|source 1 = Pogoda.ru.net<ref name=pogodaulaanbaatar>{{cite web|url=http://www.pogodaiklimat.ru/climate2/44292.htm|script-title=ru:КЛИМАТ УЛАН-БАТОРА|publisher=Pogoda.ru.net|language=ru|access-date=4 January 2015|archive-date=4 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704115122/http://pogodaiklimat.ru/climate2/44292.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>
|source 2 = [[NOAA]] (sun, 1961–1990)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_II/MO/44292.TXT|archive-url=https://wayback.archive-it.org/all/20171010142457/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_II/MO/44292.TXT|url-status=dead|archive-date=2017-10-10|title=Ulaanbaatar Climate Normals 1961–1990|publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration|access-date=4 January 2015}}</ref>}}

{{Weather box
|width = auto
|location = Choibalsan
|metric first = Yes
|single line = Yes
|collapsed = Yes 
|Jan record high C = 1.3
|Feb record high C = 8.4
|Mar record high C = 21.4
|Apr record high C = 29.5
|May record high C = 36.8
|Jun record high C = 41.2
|Jul record high C = 39.1
|Aug record high C = 38.3
|Sep record high C = 31.6
|Oct record high C = 28.0
|Nov record high C = 15.2
|Dec record high C = 3.5
|Jan high C = -14.4
|Feb high C = -10.7
|Mar high C =-0.5
|Apr high C = 10.5
|May high C = 19.0
|Jun high C = 24.9
|Jul high C = 26.6
|Aug high C = 24.4
|Sep high C = 18.0
|Oct high C = 8.8
|Nov high C = -3.4
|Dec high C = -11.8
|Jan mean C = -20.5
|Feb mean C = -17.7
|Mar mean C = -7.8
|Apr mean C = 2.6
|May mean C = 11.3
|Jun mean C = 17.6
|Jul mean C = 19.8
|Aug mean C = 17.9
|Sep mean C = 10.6
|Oct mean C = 1.5
|Nov mean C = -9.8
|Dec mean C = -17.6
|Jan low C = -25.5
|Feb low C = -23.9
|Mar low C = -14.8
|Apr low C = -4.1
|May low C = 3.8
|Jun low C = 10.8
|Jul low C = 14.4
|Aug low C = 12.1
|Sep low C = 4.9
|Oct low C = -4.2
|Nov low C = -15.2
|Dec low C = -22.7
|Jan record low C = −41.6
|Feb record low C = -38.3
|Mar record low C = −36.6
|Apr record low C = -20.3
|May record low C = -8.7
|Jun record low C = 0.5
|Jul record low C = 4.4
|Aug record low C = 2.1
|Sep record low C = -6.0
|Oct record low C = -20.3
|Nov record low C = −29.9
|Dec record low C = −36.4
|Jan precipitation mm = 1.6
|Feb precipitation mm = 1.9
|Mar precipitation mm = 2.9
|Apr precipitation mm = 6.3
|May precipitation mm = 14.4
|Jun precipitation mm = 39.0
|Jul precipitation mm = 57.4
|Aug precipitation mm = 43.3
|Sep precipitation mm = 27.2
|Oct precipitation mm = 7.7
|Nov precipitation mm = 3.3
|Dec precipitation mm = 2.6
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 0.6
|Feb precipitation days = 1.0
|Mar precipitation days = 0.7
|Apr precipitation days = 1.6
|May precipitation days = 3.2
|Jun precipitation days = 5.7
|Jul precipitation days = 8.7
|Aug precipitation days = 8.1
|Sep precipitation days = 4.6
|Oct precipitation days = 1.6
|Nov precipitation days = 1.1
|Dec precipitation days = 0.9
|Jan sun = 198.5
|Feb sun = 212.0
|Mar sun = 266.1
|Apr sun = 264.0
|May sun = 294.9
|Jun sun = 307.3
|Jul sun = 297.9
|Aug sun = 287.1
|Sep sun = 258.2
|Oct sun = 239.2
|Nov sun = 199.5
|Dec sun = 177.6
|source 1 =NOAA (1961-1990) <ref name= NOAAchoybalsan>{{cite web
  |url = ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/RA-II/MO/44259.TXT
  |title = Choibalsan Climate Normals 1961-1990
  |publisher = [[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]]
  |accessdate = January 13, 2013}}</ref>
|date=January 2011
}}