Located on the vast expanses of the Loess Plateau (Huangtu gaoyuan), Datong has a monsoon and continental climate that make the city have a clear season difference. The average annual temperature is only about 6.8 degrees C., with sharp temperature swings between day and night. The temperatures vary massively throughout the year, with a high of 38 degrees C. in the summer months of July and August, and a low of around -30 in January and February.