The orography of the Tyan'-Shan' mountains is complex. That's why the climate divers vertically and horizontally and slopes with different aspects (and therefore insolation) have a various micro-climate [1]. In general, the climate is continental, which means that there is a temperature inversion between winter and summer and day and night [6].

On local scale, elevation is the most important factor characterizing the spatial distribution of precipitation, with a higher amount in higher elevations [7]. At an altitude of around 3000 m a.s.l. the cooling of air masses causes a line of maximum precipitation [8]. There is a big difference in precipitation between intermountain valleys and high mountain areas. Due to lower elevation and protection by the mountains, the basin receives lower precipitation, more single event rainfall and an earlier maximum in the year [8]. In Kochkor, the precipitation reaches it's maximum from June to August [9].