[Minus 30°C is common] Introducing Mongolian winter
Hello!
This is a HushTug Hariuner.
Time flies and it's already the second half of November. Is winter starting soon in Japan?
According to the weather forecast for this week, the temperature in Tokyo is still around +10℃ at night and +20℃ during the day. With temperatures like this, it still feels like autumn.
That's because winters in Mongolia are very cold. Just like Japan, there are four seasons, and the seasons change at the same time. However, since it is located further north than Japan, it is colder than you might imagine.
By the way, according to the weather forecast for this week in Mongolia, it will be -22℃ at night and -6℃ during the day. It's like midwinter in Japan, but it's still November (lol).
So in this blog, I would like to introduce you to what winter is like in Mongolia.
table of contents
- The first snow in Mongolia comes in autumn!
- Want to enjoy winter nature nearby?
- What to wear in winter in Mongolia?
- The main meal is XX all year round
1. The first snow in Mongolia comes in autumn!
*This is a photo of a weekend trip to the countryside with my colleagues. It was January, mid-winter.
I lived in Japan for about three years (one year in Tokyo, two years in Kanagawa Prefecture) , and during that time, even in the most busy years, it only snowed two or three times. In the northern regions, such as Niigata Prefecture, it snowed a lot, and I heard from friends and saw on the news that it was "unbelievably cold."
In comparison, I would like to tell you how much snow it gets in Mongolia.
In Mongolia, snow doesn't only fall in winter, but also in autumn and spring. In fact, the first snowfall this year was in September.
↑This is the way back from my studio. It was still autumn, but it was snowing.
In Mongolia, the temperature changes drastically throughout the day. It's warm during the day, but in the morning and at night the temperature can drop to below zero. In the middle of winter, it can drop to -30°C, and there are many days when it snows. That's what Mongolia is like ( laughs).
2. Where can you enjoy winter nature nearby?
*The starry night sky is the most beautiful in winter nature.
Speaking of winter nature, the starry sky is something I recommend. There aren't many beautiful views in the nearby countryside, but the starry sky is very beautiful.
Of course, there are also many places where you can see beautiful nature.
The winter scenery of Lake Khuvsgul in particular is very beautiful. The lake is frozen and an event called the "Ice Festival" is held there. It is said to be the best ice festival in Mongolia and is very famous. I haven't been there yet though.
If you are interested, I would definitely recommend you go to Mongolia when you can.
3.What to wear in winter in Mongolia?
Winter clothing in Ulaanbaatar may not be much different from that in Tokyo, but I'd like to share some of the differences I felt.
This is how most people dress in Mongolia.
- Wear sturdy short boots, long boots, or sheepskin boots.
-Thick, long coats are warm, so you don't see many short ones.
- The use of woolen products (hats, mufflers, gloves, socks) is very high.
Cashmere is popular in Mongolia and there are several cashmere factories there. Sheep and goat wool products are popular among tourists in Mongolia.
This is what it looked like in February of last year.
4. The main meal is ___ all year round
There's nothing particularly winter-specific in terms of food, so there's not much difference from usual.
The main food in Mongolia is meat! They are basically carnivores (laughs). I think they often eat horse meat in the winter. It is basically a hot dish, but horse meat is delicious even when it cools down.
The meat used in the soups and bu'uz (Mongolian meat buns in the shape of a ger) that I regularly make changes depending on the season.
In this blog, I have told you about Mongolia. What did you think? I would be happy if you were interested in Mongolia even a little.
Winter will soon be here in Japan. Everyone, please take care of your health so as not to catch a cold during this cold season.
Thank you for reading to the end today!
HushTug
Hariuna