Station normals (monthly mean temperature & precipitation) for Shanghai (Hongqiao) and Los Angeles (LAX).
180.3 mm
Max Shanghai monthly precipitation
0 mm
LA summer monthly precip (min)
29.4 °C
Max Shanghai mean temp
Introduction — why I built this
I started this mini-site because I grew up in Shanghai and have lived there for almost my whole life.
I recently moved to Los Angeles for college and noticed the weather is very different here.
That personal experience inspired this comparison so I (and others) can quickly see seasonal differences and plan accordingly.
High-level takeaways
Shanghai: Hot, humid summers with heavy monsoon rainfall (peak in June).
Los Angeles: Mediterranean climate — dry summers, most rain in winter.
Implication: Plan for drainage & heat in Shanghai; winter storms in LA.
Data excerpt
A sample of the dataset (summer months).
Month
Shanghai Temp (°C)
Shanghai Prec (mm)
LA Temp (°C)
LA Prec (mm)
June
25.0
180.3
18.3
2.5
July
29.4
152.4
20.0
0.0
August
28.3
124.5
20.6
0.0
Core Dataset — Monthly Comparison (Jan → Dec)
Station normals (monthly mean temp and precipitation) for Shanghai (Hongqiao) and Los Angeles (LAX).
Station normals for Shanghai and Los Angeles.
Month
Shanghai Mean Temp (°C)
Shanghai Precipitation (mm)
Los Angeles Mean Temp (°C)
Los Angeles Precipitation (mm)
Interactive Guidance
Click a month row to see a concise summary.
Quick stats
Analysis & Walkthroughs
Run walkthroughs to highlight rows and produce concise planning recommendations. Chart shows monthly precipitation (Shanghai vs LA).
Walkthrough output
Run a walkthrough to see insights and recommended actions.
Monthly precipitation chart
Resources
Data provenance
Dataset: station monthly normals (instructor-provided). For publication include baseline period (e.g., 1991–2020) and source (NOAA / local met offices).
Glossary
Station normals
Multi-year averages of climate variables (commonly 30-year periods). Normals smooth year-to-year variability to show typical monthly conditions.
Monsoon
A seasonal wind pattern that often brings a concentrated period of heavy rainfall — for example, East Asia's summer monsoon causes Shanghai's wet summers.
Mediterranean climate
A climate type with warm, dry summers and mild, wetter winters. Los Angeles is a classic example.
Precipitation
Any liquid or frozen water that falls from the atmosphere — rain, sleet, snow — typically measured in millimeters (mm) for monthly totals.
Mean temperature (monthly)
The average of daily temperatures (often daily mean) over a month; useful for comparing seasonal warmth between cities.