Get the appGet app

Weather & seasons

Gulmarg weather: snow, cold and the ski season, month by month

Gulmarg’s weather month by month from 30 years of station records: how cold it gets, when snow falls, the 2026–27 ski course dates and winter travel.

By Abbsar Bhat
Checked ·7 min read

Gulmarg sits at about 2,650 m and is far colder and wetter than Srinagar. On 1991–2020 averages from its weather station, January days reach only 0.7°C and nights fall to −7.7°C. The town gets 1,449 mm of rain and snow a year, measured as water, about twice Srinagar’s. Snow arrives on no fixed date, but the ski institute’s 2026–27 courses run from 20 December 2026 to 13 March 2027.

Snow-covered mountains above Gulmarg
Snow-covered mountains above Gulmarg. Photo: Ask6626, CC BY-SA 4.0
In this guide5 sections
  1. Gulmarg weather month by month
  2. When does it snow in Gulmarg?
  3. Skiing in Gulmarg
  4. Getting to Gulmarg in winter
  5. Gulmarg weather questions

At a glance

Height
About 2,650 m, the height of its golf course
January
0.7°C by day, −7.7°C at night
July
21.1°C by day, 12.0°C at night
Wettest month
March: 215.6 mm on 11.5 wet days
Driest month
October: 47.7 mm on 3.7 wet days
Ski courses 2026–27
20 Dec to 13 Mar IISM Gulmarg; booking opens 12 Nov 2026

Gulmarg weather month by month

Average day high and night low in °C. Rain and snow are measured together, as water.

Month Day Night Rain or snow Wet days* Humidity
January 0.7° −7.7° 161.3 mm 8.6 79%
February 1.8° −6.4° 207.5 mm 10.2 80%
March 5.4° −2.7° 215.6 mm 11.5 75%
April 10.4° 1.9° 166.2 mm 11.4 69%
May 15.6° 6.1° 139.3 mm 10.1 68%
June 19.3° 9.4° 101.6 mm 8.9 67%
July 21.1° 12.0° 101.7 mm 8.3 76%
August 20.5° 11.7° 101.0 mm 8.2 77%
September 18.5° 8.6° 75.9 mm 5.8 69%
October 14.2° 3.8° 47.7 mm 3.7 61%
November 9.0° −0.6° 57.2 mm 3.7 62%
December 4.6° −4.8° 74.1 mm 4.7 70%

*Days with at least 2.5 mm of rain or snow. WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020 for station 42026 Gulmarg, published by NOAA NCEI. A typical year, not a forecast.

Average day and night temperature, Gulmarg °C, each bar runs from the night low to the day high
  1. −7.7°
  7. 21.1°

WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020, station 42026 Gulmarg. Warmest days: July, 21.1°C. Coldest nights: January, −7.7°C.

Rain and snow by month, Gulmarg millimetres, as water
  3. 215.6
  10. 47.7

WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020, station 42026 Gulmarg. Wettest: March, 215.6 mm. Driest: October, 47.7 mm.

Average nights stay below freezing from November to March. Gulmarg’s days run about 5–10°C colder than Srinagar’s in every month; see Srinagar weather to compare.

When does it snow in Gulmarg?

The averages count rain and snow together, so they don’t say how many snowy days to expect, and the first big snow moves from year to year. Recent seasons, as reported:

  1. 26 Feb 2025
    Gulmarg recorded 33.0 cm of snow, the highest in the valley that day, and both Gondola phases were suspended for the weather, The Tribune reported; Greater Kashmir reported the suspension on 26 February.
  2. Late Aug 2025
    Early snow on Gulmarg’s Affarwat peaks, as well as at Sonamarg and the Zoji La, “unusual for late August”, a MeT official told Deccan Herald.
  3. 2–3 Oct 2025
    Light snow again on the Affarwat and Sunshine peaks, Kashmir Life reported.
  4. 4–5 Nov 2025
    Gulmarg received 7.6 cm of snow in 24 hours, according to the Meteorological Centre Srinagar, ETV Bharat reported.
  5. 21–23 Dec 2025
    The season’s first major snowfall: about 2 inches by 22 December, Outlook reported, and about 6 inches by 23 December, according to News24.
  6. 7–8 Jan 2026
    The temperature fell to −9.2°C that night, News On Air reported, in a dry spell.
  7. 23 Jan 2026
    After fresh snow, around four feet lay at Kongdori, six feet at Phase II and three and a half feet in the Gulmarg Bowl, Gulmarg’s assistant director of tourism told Greater Kashmir; the main slopes, including Phase II up to the Bowl, were set to reopen from Sunday 25 January.
  8. 5 Sep 2026
    “The first snowfall of the season” on Kashmir’s higher reaches, above around 3,900 m, including the higher reaches around Gulmarg, UNI reported.
  9. 17 Sep 2026
    Light snow on the higher reaches of Gulmarg and Gurez, Outlook Traveller reported.

Dry spells can delay the snow by weeks. The Gulmarg leg of the Khelo India Winter Games was moved from early to late February in 2024 “due to an extended dry spell”, Kashmir Life reported, and in 2025 it was pushed to 9–12 March because snow conditions weren’t suitable, according to IANS. In 2026 it was held on 23–26 February, closing at Gulmarg on 26 February, ANI reported.

A hut half buried in deep snow at Gulmarg
Deep snow at Gulmarg. Photo: Zahoor Bhat, CC BY-SA 4.0

Skiing in Gulmarg

The Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering (IISM), set up by the Ministry of Tourism at Gulmarg in 1968, publishes the clearest season dates. Its 2026–27 schedule:

Batch Dates Length
1 20 Dec 2026 – 2 Jan 2027 14 days
2 3 – 16 Jan 2027 14 days
3 17 – 30 Jan 2027 14 days
4 31 Jan – 13 Feb 2027 14 days
5 14 – 27 Feb 2027 14 days
6 28 Feb – 13 Mar 2027 14 days
  • Booking opens at 10:00 on 12 November 2026, online, first come, first served.
  • Fees: ₹10,000 up to age 25 and ₹20,000 above 25, covering “boarding, lodging, training and ski equipment”, according to IISM’s admission page. IISM notes that the exact fee depends on sanction from the Ministry of Tourism.
  • Ages and seats: 10 to 40 years, 80 seats in each batch.
  • Ski passes: the cable car corporation launched online booking of ski passes with QR codes in January 2026, Kashmir Life reported. We found no published ski-pass price, so check the official booking site before you go.
Ski trainees on the slopes at Gulmarg
Ski training at Gulmarg. Photo: Sanjay Kodain Mountaineer, CC BY-SA 3.0

Getting to Gulmarg in winter

  • Road time: an estimated 1½ to 2¼ hours from Srinagar, according to the Go Kashmir app as of 22 October 2026. Snow can add a lot.
  • Taxis: one Srinagar operator notes that in winter taxis may only reach Tangmarg, below Gulmarg. Ask when you book; fares are in Srinagar taxi fares.
  • Gondola: both phases can stop in bad weather, as on 26 February 2025. See Gondola tickets for booking and the reported maintenance days.

Gulmarg weather questions

Will Gulmarg have snow in December?

Often, but not on fixed dates. In winter 2025–26, light snow fell on the Affarwat peaks in late August and again on 2–3 October, and the first major snowfall came on 21–23 December. In 2024 and 2025, dry spells pushed the winter games back to late February and March.

How cold do Gulmarg’s nights get?

The average January night is −7.7°C. Recent cold nights reported include −10.0°C on 6 February 2025, according to Kashmir Reader, and −9.2°C on 7–8 January 2026.

Which month is best for snow in Gulmarg?

January and February are the coldest months, with nights of −7.7°C and −6.4°C, and the ski courses run from late December to mid-March. Snow depth varies a lot from year to year.

Is Gulmarg colder than Srinagar?

Yes. Its average days are about 5–10°C colder in every month.

Is Gulmarg open in winter?

Gulmarg is not on the official list of closed destinations as on 7 July 2026, though Babareshi nearby is closed to tourists, under orders that run to 31 December 2026. Its ski season runs from late December: IISM’s 2026–27 ski courses are scheduled from 20 December 2026 to 13 March 2027. Roads and the Gondola can stop after heavy snow. See what’s closed in Kashmir.

Sources

  1. WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020, station 42026 Gulmarg, published by NOAA NCEI.
  2. Ministry of Tourism, Incredible India: Gulmarg (height of the golf course). Read 22 Oct 2026.
  3. IISM Gulmarg, home page (founding), courses (2026–27 schedule) and admission and fees. Read 23 Oct 2026.
  4. The Tribune, Gondola services suspended, 27 Feb 2025, and Greater Kashmir, Gondola services suspended at Kongdoori, Affarwat, 26 Feb 2025.
  5. Outlook India, snow in the higher reaches, 22 Dec 2025, and News24, first major snowfall, 23 Dec 2025.
  6. News On Air, cold wave, 8 Jan 2026.
  7. Greater Kashmir, ski slopes set to reopen, 23 Jan 2026.
  8. Outlook Traveller, snow at Gurez and Gulmarg, 18 Sep 2026; UNI, season’s first snowfall on the higher reaches, 5 Sep 2026; Deccan Herald, Sonamarg and Zoji La covered in snow, 31 Aug 2025.
  9. Kashmir Life, winter games rescheduled, 2 Feb 2024; QR ski passes, 31 Jan 2026; avalanche alert, 31 Jan 2024.
  10. IANS, winter games from 9 March, 3 Mar 2025; Kashmir Reader, 2026 Gulmarg leg dates, 13 Feb 2026, and Gulmarg at −10.0°C, 7 Feb 2025.
  11. Gulf News, skiers killed in avalanche, 1 Feb 2023.
  12. Kashmir Life, snow on the Affarwat and Sunshine peaks, 3 Oct 2025; ETV Bharat, 7.6 cm at Gulmarg, 5 Nov 2025; ANI via Newswav, Gulmarg leg closing, 26 Feb 2026.
  13. Anantnag district administration, details of closed tourist destinations as on 07-07-2026 (PDF covering seven districts, linked from its notice), and The Wire, the July 2026 orders, 15 Jul 2026.
  14. Vargis Khan, Srinagar taxi rate list 2026–27. Read 22 Oct 2026.
  15. Go Kashmir app, estimated road time from Srinagar, 22 Oct 2026.

We write from published sources and do not claim personal visits. How we check facts.

Read next

Destination guideGulmarg: what to do, when to go and how to get thereThe Gondola, meadows and ski slopes, 1½–2¼ hours from Srinagar.Fares & ticketsGulmarg Gondola: ticket prices, phases and bookingBoth phases, 2026 fares as reported, official and Tatkal booking.Weather & seasonsKashmir in winter: snow, cold, roads and what stays openBelow-freezing nights, snow on no fixed date, and the roads and flights that stop.

Search titles, places and topics across every guide.