The area has a cold desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWk). There are extreme seasonal variation in temperature, and nights are cold, even in the summer. The Tian Shan are high enough to collect precipitation from the moist arctic air coming from the northwest. The middle elevations, such as at Bayanbulak, receive an average of 270 mm of precipitation per year, enough to support steppe floral communities. Average annual temperature on the grassland is .