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Weather & seasons

Kashmir in December: weather, snow, roads and what’s open

Kashmir in December: temperatures for Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam, when snow came last year, Chillai Kalan, winter roads and closures to 31 Dec.

By Abbsar Bhat
Checked ·5 min read

December in Srinagar averages 9.9°C by day and −1.6°C at night, and Chillai Kalan, the core of winter, begins on 21 December. On 1991–2020 averages Gulmarg reaches 4.6°C by day and −4.8°C at night. December is also one of the driest months, with about 2–3 wet days in Srinagar. Snow timing varies: in 2025 the high peaks had light snow from late August, and the first major snowfall came around 21–22 December.

Snow-covered meadow at Gulmarg with a small hut and forest
Snow-covered meadow at Gulmarg with a small hut and forest. Photo: Slyronit, CC BY-SA 4.0
In this guide6 sections
  1. December weather
  2. Will there be snow?
  3. Chillai Kalan
  4. Roads in December
  5. What’s open in December 2026
  6. December questions

At a glance

Srinagar
9.9°C by day, −1.6°C at night
Gulmarg
4.6°C by day, −4.8°C at night
Wet days in Srinagar
2.6 in a typical December
Chillai Kalan begins
21 December
Gondola maintenance
14 and 28 December 2026 JKCCC notice
Closure orders run to
31 December 2026; we re-check in January

December weather

Place Average high Average low Rain or snow, as water
Srinagar 9.9°C −1.6°C 27.2 mm on 2.6 wet days
Gulmarg 4.6°C −4.8°C 74.1 mm on 4.7 wet days
Pahalgam 7.9°C −4.2°C 59.7 mm on 3.9 wet days

WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020 for the IMD stations at Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam, published by NOAA NCEI. Wet days have at least 2.5 mm. The whole year is in Kashmir weather month by month.

Will there be snow?

Snow is likely at some point, but not on a fixed date. The official normals don’t count snow days, and the first snow of the season moves from year to year.

  • In 2025, snow covered Sonamarg, the Zoji La and Gulmarg’s Affarwat peaks in late August, “unusual for late August”, a MeT official told Deccan Herald; light snow fell on Gulmarg’s peaks again on 2–3 October, Kashmir Life reported, and 7.6 cm by 5 November, according to ETV Bharat. The first major snowfall came around 21–22 December, with rain in the plains, Outlook reported, and the Srinagar MeT office forecast more from 30 December, News Arena reported. The month before is in Kashmir in November.
  • Srinagar: the plains were still without snow on 9 January 2026, IANS reported; the season’s heaviest snowfall so far came on 23 January, according to Skymet.
  • Nights are below freezing: Gulmarg’s average December night is −4.8°C and Srinagar’s −1.6°C.

For your dates, check the IMD Srinagar forecast a few days ahead.

Chillai Kalan

Chillai Kalan, the harshest 40 days of Kashmir’s winter, starts on 21 December and runs to the end of January: 31 January according to Kashmir Life, though some outlets give 30 January. In 2026, 21 December falls on a Monday.

Roads in December

  • Sonamarg: the Sonamarg tunnel, opened on 13 January 2025, gives “all-weather connectivity between Sonamarg and Gagangeer”, according to News On Air, though heavy snow still closed the Sonamarg road in January 2026, IANS reported. The Zoji La beyond it can close after snow.
  • The Mughal Road “remains closed during the winter months due to heavy snowfall”, News On Air reported on 26 February 2026. In 2026 it reopened on 11 January after seven days closed (News On Air), then shut again: it was “already closed” on 27 January, IANS reported in Siasat. Its 40 km Shopian–Peer Ki Gali stretch was ordered reopened from 27 February, and snow closed it again in March until it reopened to light vehicles on 22 March, Kashmir Life reported.
  • Gurez: snow closed the road over Razdan Pass on 13 October 2026, WION reported, and, after a one-day reopening, again on 15 October, ANI reported. Later that day it reopened one way, for vehicles from Bandipora to Gurez only, a Border Roads Organisation official told Kashmir News Service. See the Gurez guide.
  • Gulmarg: one Srinagar operator notes that in winter taxis may only reach Tangmarg, below Gulmarg. Ask when you book, and see Srinagar taxi fares.

What’s open in December 2026

  • The closures run all month. Places such as Baisaran, Chandanwari and Tulian Lake near Pahalgam, and Babareshi Tangmarg, near Gulmarg, are closed to tourists under orders that run to 31 December 2026, according to the Anantnag district notice and The Wire. See the full list. The Go Kashmir app flags each closed place on its place card, with the date it was checked.
  • The Gulmarg Gondola “shall remain closed on the 2nd and 4th Monday of every month for preventive maintenance”, according to a notice on the Jammu & Kashmir Cable Car Corporation’s website (shown from 13 July 2026, read 24 October 2026). In December 2026 those are 14 and 28 December. See Gondola tickets and booking.
  • Pack for nights below freezing everywhere, and well below in Gulmarg and Pahalgam.
  • Keep a spare day in case snow closes a road.
  • Book the Gondola ahead, and avoid 14 and 28 December.
  • Check the closure list again after 31 December, when the current orders end.

December questions

Is it worth going to Kashmir in December?

If you want winter and a chance of snow, yes. Expect cold nights, short days and some road closures after snowfall.

Does it snow in Kashmir in December?

Often on the mountains, but the date varies. In winter 2025–26 the high peaks had light snow from late August and the first major snowfall came around 21–22 December, while Srinagar had rain, not snow, until January. See Kashmir in winter.

Is Gulmarg closed in December?

No. Gulmarg is not on the closure lists, though Babareshi Tangmarg nearby is. JKCCC says the Gondola closes on the second and fourth Monday of every month for maintenance.

Is December the coldest month in Kashmir?

No, January is. Srinagar’s average January night is −1.9°C, against −1.6°C in December.

Sources

  1. WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020, stations 42027 Srinagar, 42026 Gulmarg and 42028 Pahalgam, published by NOAA NCEI.
  2. News Arena, Kashmir valley braces for snowfall, 28 Dec 2025; Kashmir Life, Gulmarg’s first snowfall, 3 Oct 2025; ETV Bharat, 7.6 cm at Gulmarg, 5 Nov 2025; Outlook India, Chillai Kalan brings snow, 22 Dec 2025; Greater Kashmir (IANS), snowfall eludes the plains, 9 Jan 2026; Skymet, heavy snowfall in Kashmir, 23 Jan 2026.
  3. Kashmir Life, Chillai Kalan begins, 20 Dec 2023, and Mughal Road reopens for LMVs after three days, 22 Mar 2026.
  4. News On Air, Sonamarg tunnel inauguration, 13 Jan 2025; Mughal Road resumes after a weather closure, 11 Jan 2026; and Mughal Road ordered reopened, 26 Feb 2026.
  5. WION, Bandipora–Gurez road closed after fresh snowfall, 14 Oct 2026, and ANI via Asianet Newsable, road closed again, 15 Oct 2026, and Kashmir News Service, Bandipora–Gurez road partially restored, 15 Oct 2026.
  6. Anantnag district administration, details of closed tourist destinations and the list as on 07-07-2026 (PDF), and The Wire, destinations shut under the July 2026 orders, 15 Jul 2026.
  7. Jammu & Kashmir Cable Car Corporation, notifications (Gondola maintenance notice, from 13 Jul 2026). Read 24 Oct 2026.
  8. Vargis Khan, Srinagar taxi rate list 2026–27. Read 22 Oct 2026.
  9. Deccan Herald, Sonamarg and Zoji La covered in snow, 31 Aug 2025, and Siasat (IANS), fresh snowfall shuts highways in Kashmir, 27 Jan 2026.

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

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