Weather & seasons
Kashmir in February: snow, skiing, roads and what’s open
Kashmir in February: temperatures for Srinagar, Gulmarg and Pahalgam, snow in the last three Februaries, ski courses, Chillai Khurd, roads and what’s open.
February is the last of Kashmir’s three winter months and, on average, the wettest of them. On 1991–2020 averages Srinagar reaches 10.5°C by day and 0.7°C at night, with 85.0 mm of rain and snow, while Gulmarg stays at 1.8°C and −6.4°C. The last three Februaries all had mountain snow, in very different amounts: in 2024 Srinagar’s first snow of the winter came on 1 February, in 2025 the big fall waited until 26 February, and February 2026 was 89% short of normal across Jammu and Kashmir. Gulmarg’s ski courses run all month. The current closure orders end on 31 December 2026, so check what’s open before you go.

In this guide13 sections
- Is February a good time to visit Kashmir?
- February weather by place
- Will it snow? The last three Februaries
- February 2026, day by day
- Chillai Khurd and Chillai Bachha
- First week or last week?
- Is Gulmarg open in February?
- Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Doodhpathri in February
- Roads in February
- Flights and trains in February
- What’s on and what’s open in February 2027
- What to wear in February
- February questions
At a glance
- Srinagar
- 10.5°C by day, 0.7°C at night
- Gulmarg
- 1.8°C by day, −6.4°C at night
- Rain and snow
- The wettest winter month Srinagar 85.0 mm
- Chillai Khurd
- 31 January to 19 February then Chillai Bachha
- IISM ski courses
- 31 Jan–13 Feb and 14–27 Feb 2027
- Gondola maintenance
- 8 and 22 February 2027 JKCCC notice
Is February a good time to visit Kashmir?
It is if you want snow on the mountains and skiing, and can keep your dates loose:
- For: Gulmarg’s ski season, with two 14-day courses at the Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering (IISM) in the month; Gulmarg is the coldest and wettest of the stations below. Days are longer than in January: about 10½ hours between sunrise and sunset on 1 February and almost 11½ by the 28th.
- Against: it is the wettest winter month, and heavy snow can stop flights and close roads for a day or more, as on 4 February 2024, when every flight at Srinagar was cancelled. The Mughal Road, the Sinthan road and the Gurez road are usually closed by snow for much of the winter.
- Not certain: snow at all. February 2026 was “one of the driest in recent record”, officials said, and on 21 February the temperature passed 21°C.
How February compares with the other months is in the best time to visit Kashmir.
February weather by place
| Place | Day | Night | Rain or snow | Wet days* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Srinagar | 10.5°C | 0.7°C | 85.0 mm | 6.0 |
| Qazigund | 9.7°C | −0.4°C | 166.5 mm | 8.2 |
| Pahalgam | 7.2°C | −3.9°C | 144.5 mm | 9.3 |
| Gulmarg | 1.8°C | −6.4°C | 207.5 mm | 10.2 |
*Average day high and night low. Rain or snow is measured as water, and wet days have at least 2.5 mm. WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020 for the IMD stations at Srinagar (42027), Qazigund (42044), Pahalgam (42028) and Gulmarg (42026), published by NOAA NCEI. Qazigund is at the valley end of the road tunnel to Banihal, on the Jammu–Srinagar highway.
WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020, station 42026 Gulmarg. Wettest: March, 215.6 mm. Driest: October, 47.7 mm.
February is milder than January but wetter. Srinagar’s average day climbs from 7.1°C in January to 10.5°C in February and 15.5°C in March, yet February brings more rain and snow than either December or January at all four stations: Srinagar averages 85.0 mm in February against 63.6 mm in January, and Gulmarg 207.5 mm against 161.3 mm. At Gulmarg only January has colder nights. The extremes are far apart: Srinagar’s coldest night on record is −20.0°C, on 6 February 1895, while on 21 February 2026 the mercury passed 21°C, beating the February record of 20.6°C set on 24 February 2016, ETV Bharat reported; 20.6°C on that date is the February record in Srinagar’s station file. Every month is in Kashmir weather month by month.
Will it snow? The last three Februaries
On the mountains it did in each of the last three Februaries, but the averages count rain and snow together, so they can’t say how often it snows. The last three Februaries went three different ways:
| February | What happened |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Heavy snow early. Srinagar and the plains had the winter’s first snowfall on 1 February, about two inches in Srinagar and 14 inches at Gulmarg, officials told Kashmir Reader. On 4 February all of Srinagar’s flights, about 20, were cancelled after more snow, the airport director told Greater Kashmir, and later in the month Pahalgam had up to a foot over two days, Greater Kashmir reported. |
| 2025 | Dry until the last week. The Gulmarg leg of the Khelo India Winter Games, due on 22–25 February, was postponed “due to scant snowfall”, according to IANS, and the Kashmir division’s precipitation deficit stood at 81% on 20 February, by Met Department data reported by Greater Kashmir. Then on 26 February Gulmarg had 33.0 cm of snow, The Tribune reported. |
| 2026 | Very dry and warm. Jammu and Kashmir had 14.2 mm of rain and snow against a normal of 130.4 mm, an 89% deficit, by Meteorological Centre Srinagar data reported by ETV Bharat, which quoted officials calling it “one of the driest in recent record”. Light snow still fell on 1 February: “an inch or more” at Pahalgam, residents told Greater Kashmir. |
In the 2024 and 2025 falls above, Gulmarg had the most snow of the places reported: 14 inches on 1 February 2024 and 33.0 cm on 26 February 2025. In an average February it gets about two and a half times Srinagar’s rain and snow, and its average night is −6.4°C. First-snow dates for each winter are in Snowfall in Kashmir, and Gulmarg’s snow reports in Gulmarg weather.
February 2026, day by day
What the last February looked like for travellers:
- 1 Feb 2026Light snow in south Kashmir, “an inch or more” at Pahalgam and one to two inches in Shopian, while Srinagar had rain, Greater Kashmir reported.
- 3–4 Feb 2026Citing “bad weather and the closure of roads and flights”, railway authorities permitted four special trains between Katra and Srinagar over the two days, News On Air reported.
- 16 Feb 2026The Lieutenant Governor named 14 tourist spots to be reopened, among them Yousmarg, Doodhpathri, Thajwas Glacier and the Tulip Garden, ETV Bharat reported. Doodhpathri reopened the next day after nearly 10 months, according to the Kashmir Observer.
- 18 Feb 2026The tourism department held the Doodhpathri Snow Carnival, with snowshoe races, skiing demonstrations and snow cricket, Brighter Kashmir reported.
- 21 Feb 2026The mercury passed 21°C, beating the February record of 20.6°C, and Gulmarg reached 11.5°C, ETV Bharat reported.
- 23–26 Feb 2026The Gulmarg leg of the Khelo India Winter Games, as announced by the sports minister, Kashmir Reader reported; it closed on 26 February, ANI reported.
- 27 Feb 2026The 40 km Shopian–Peer Ki Gali stretch of the Mughal Road was ordered reopened from this day, News On Air reported, and light motor vehicles were moving on it, Kashmir Life reported.
Chillai Khurd and Chillai Bachha
Kashmir names its winter in three spells. Chillai Kalan, the 40 days of harshest cold, ends in the last days of January; see Kashmir in January. Then come Chillai Khurd (“small cold”), 20 days from 31 January to 19 February, and Chillai Bachha (“baby cold”), 10 days from 20 February to 2 March, according to The Quint. Sources differ on the last day: in 2024 Kashmir Life said Chillai Bachha “culminates on March 1”. In 2026, Chillai Khurd began on Saturday 31 January, PTI reported in Greater Kashmir.
The names don’t mean the cold is over. Gulmarg’s average February night is −6.4°C, and on 5 February 2024 Pahalgam fell to −11.9°C and Gulmarg to −10°C, Greater Kashmir reported.
First week or last week?
| Detail | First week | Last week |
|---|---|---|
| Daylight in Srinagar | Sunrise 07:28, sunset 18:01 on 1 February | Sunrise 07:01, sunset 18:26 on 28 February |
| The cold spell | Chillai Khurd, from 31 January | Chillai Bachha, from 20 February |
| IISM ski courses | One runs 31 January–13 February | One runs 14–27 February; the next starts on 28 February |
| Gondola maintenance | Monday 8 February 2027 | Monday 22 February 2027 |
| Ramadan | Expected to begin around 8 or 9 February 2027 (not announced) | Under way |
| In 2024 | First snow of the winter in Srinagar, 1 February | 7.4 cm of snow at Pahalgam, reported on 27 February |
| In 2025 | Dry | 33.0 cm at Gulmarg on 26 February |
| In 2026 | Light snow on 1 February | Khelo India at Gulmarg; Mughal Road stretch reopened on 27 February |
Sunrise and sunset for Srinagar (34.08° N, 74.80° E, IST, flat horizon), computed with the NOAA solar calculator equations. Course dates from IISM, the Gondola dates from JKCCC’s maintenance notice; the rest is sourced in the sections around this table.
No week is reliably snowier: in 2024 the heaviest snow came at the start of the month, in 2025 at the end, and in 2026 hardly at all. Days lengthen by about 50 minutes over the month, which helps day trips to Gulmarg or Doodhpathri.
Is Gulmarg open in February?
Yes. Gulmarg is not on the official list of closed destinations as on 7 July 2026. Four places listed under Tangmarg, the town below Gulmarg, are closed to tourists: Babareshi, Ringawali, Gogaldara and Baderkote, under orders that run to 31 December 2026.
- Skiing: IISM’s 14-day snow skiing courses at Gulmarg run from 31 January to 13 February 2027, with 20 snowboarding seats, and from 14 to 27 February, and the next starts on 28 February. Booking opens at 10:00 on 12 November 2026, and fees are ₹10,000 up to age 25 and ₹20,000 above, IISM’s schedule says. In January 2026 the cable car corporation launched online booking of ski passes with a QR code, Kashmir Life reported.
- Snow for skiing: not guaranteed. In 2025 the Gulmarg leg of the Khelo India Winter Games moved from 22–25 February to 9–12 March for lack of snow, according to IANS, and in 2024 an “extended dry spell” moved them from 2–6 February to 21–26 February, Kashmir Life reported. The 2027 dates had not been announced as of 24 October 2026.
- The Gondola: under a maintenance notice in force since July 2026, the Gondola “shall remain closed on the 2nd and 4th Monday of every month for preventive maintenance”, the Jammu & Kashmir Cable Car Corporation says. In February 2027 those are 8 and 22 February. Weather can stop it too: on 26 February 2025 both phases, at Kongdoori and Affarwat, were suspended “due to adverse weather conditions”, with “full refund of tickets” promised, according to The Tribune. See Gondola tickets.
- Drung: the waterfall near Tangmarg was cleared to reopen to visitors on 23 November 2025, after months closed, Kashmir Life reported, and it is not on the July 2026 closed list. The frozen-falls reports we found are from December, as in Greater Kashmir in 2024, so whether it is frozen in February depends on the cold that year.
- Avalanches: two foreign skiers were killed in an avalanche in the Affarwat area of Gulmarg on 1 February 2023, police said, according to Gulf News. The J&K Disaster Management Authority issues warnings by district and height; on 20 February 2024 it warned of medium danger above 2,400 m over Bandipora and Baramulla, the district that includes Gulmarg, Kashmir Reader reported.
- Getting there: an estimated 1½–2¼ hours by road from Srinagar, according to the Go Kashmir app as of 24 October 2026; snow can add a lot. Fares are in Srinagar taxi fares, and the whole ski season in Gulmarg weather.


Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Doodhpathri in February
- Pahalgam: 7.2°C by day and −3.9°C at night on February averages, and an estimated 2½–3½ hours by road from Srinagar, according to the Go Kashmir app as of 24 October 2026. After up to a foot of snow in February 2024, an official said all the town’s roads were made motorable within 24 hours, Greater Kashmir reported. The town is not on the closure list, but Baisaran, Chandanwari and Tulian Lake are closed to tourists under orders that run to 31 December 2026. See Pahalgam weather.
- Sonamarg: the Sonamarg tunnel, opened in January 2025, gives “all-weather connectivity between Sonamarg and Gagangeer”, News On Air reported, and Sonamarg had 57,186 visitors in February 2025, according to figures reported by Kashmir Life. Thajwas Glacier was on the February 2026 reopening list. The drive takes an estimated 2–3 hours, according to the Go Kashmir app as of 24 October 2026. See the Sonamarg guide.
- Doodhpathri: open, as last reported: it reopened on 21 August 2026 after a weather closure, the Kashmir Observer reported, and it is not on the closed list. In February 2026 it hosted a snow carnival the day after it reopened. Nearby Yusmarg was shut to tourists during a security operation on 4 September 2026, the Kashmir Observer reported. Doodhpathri is an estimated 1½–2 hours by road from Srinagar, according to the Go Kashmir app as of 24 October 2026. See the Doodhpathri guide.
Roads in February
Snow can close roads at short notice, and the Mughal Road, the Sinthan road and the Gurez road are usually closed for long stretches of the winter.
- Jammu–Srinagar highway (NH 44): rain and snow can close it. On 1 February 2024 a landslip in Ramban district closed it, leaving over 200 vehicles stranded, according to Kashmir Reader. See Jammu to Srinagar.
- Mughal Road: “The Mughal Road remains closed during the winter months due to heavy snowfall and slippery road conditions”, News On Air reported on 26 February 2026, when the Shopian–Peer Ki Gali stretch was ordered reopened from 27 February, “subject to fair weather conditions”. It shut again in March, still closed on 19 March for a fourth day running “due to fresh snowfall and rainfall at Pir Ki Gali”, News On Air reported. In 2025 it stayed closed through February and reopened on 15 April, after more than three months, News On Air reported.
- Sinthan Pass, Kokernag to Kishtwar: heavy snow “renders the road impassable in winter”; in 2025 it reopened in April after more than five months closed, Greater Kashmir reported. Sinthan Top and Margan Top are also on the official list of places closed to tourists.
- Gurez: the Bandipora–Gurez road over Razdan Pass “remains cut off from the district headquarters for nearly three to four months every winter”, Kashmir Life reported when snow closed it on 31 December 2025; it reopened one way, Bandipora to Gurez, on 10 January 2026, Greater Kashmir reported, and was closed again on 7 March 2026, Kashmir Life reported. This autumn it was partly reopened on 15 October 2026, one way from Bandipora to Gurez, a Border Roads Organisation official told Kashmir News Service; we found no later report by 24 October. See the Gurez guide.
- Zoji La, towards Ladakh: closed on 15 February 2024 for 35 days, Greater Kashmir reported, and in 2025 open until 26 February, then shut under more than three feet of snow, News On Air reported. See Srinagar to Leh by road.
Flights and trains in February
- Flights: snow can stop Srinagar flights for a day at a time, as on 4 February 2024, when the airport director told Greater Kashmir “all the flights have been cancelled for the day due to bad weather” because snow “hampered clearance of the runway”. Fog is a smaller risk than in January: Srinagar averages 0.5 days of fog in February against 1.1 in January in the station normals. Connections through northern India can still meet fog early in the month: for winter 2025–26 the aviation regulator, DGCA, set the fog season as 10 December to 10 February, ETV Bharat reported. See the Srinagar airport guide.
- Trains: the train has helped when roads and flights stop. On 3 and 4 February 2026, citing “bad weather and the closure of roads and flights”, railway authorities permitted four special trains between Katra and Srinagar, News On Air reported, and the Budgam–Banihal special train was extended to Katra from 11 February 2026, ETV Bharat reported. Since 2 May 2026 Vande Bharat trains have run between Jammu Tawi and Srinagar, ETV Bharat reported; see Vande Bharat to Srinagar.
What’s on and what’s open in February 2027
Before you book, check each stop you plan: every place card in Go Kashmir marks a closed place, with the date its status was checked.
- Ramadan: the month of fasting follows the Hijri calendar, which moves about 11 days earlier each year. In 2026 the Grand Mufti announced the crescent on 18 February, and the first fast in Jammu and Kashmir was on Thursday 19 February, Kashmir Life reported. By the tabular Islamic calendar, 1 Ramadan 1448 falls on 8 February 2027, so the first fast is expected on 8 or 9 February, depending on the moon sighting. The central government’s 2027 holiday list puts Id-ul-Fitr, which ends the month, on 10 March 2027, subject to the moon. The start of Ramadan in 2027 had not been announced as of 24 October 2026.
- Herath (Maha Shivratri): the Kashmiri Pandit festival of Herath, the “night of Hara”, was celebrated on 15 February 2026, with the largest gathering at the Shankaracharya Temple, Kashmir Reader reported. In 2027 it is expected in early March: the central government’s holiday list for 2027 puts Maha Shivratri on 6 March 2027. Herath’s own 2027 date had not been announced as of 24 October 2026.
- Skiing and winter sports: IISM courses run all month, as above. The 2027 Khelo India Winter Games dates had not been announced as of 24 October 2026; in 2026 the Gulmarg leg was 23–26 February.
- Not yet: the Tulip Garden opens in spring; for its recent opening dates, see Kashmir in March.
- Keep a spare day either side of a flight or the drive to Jammu, in case snow stops them.
- Avoid 8 and 22 February 2027 for the Gondola, and book Gulmarg hotels and Gondola tickets early.
- Check the closure list again after 1 January 2027, when the current orders have ended.
- Call a Traffic Control Unit before driving to Jammu, Sonamarg or Doodhpathri.
What to wear in February
Pack for nights below freezing at Gulmarg and Pahalgam and around freezing in Srinagar, and for wet days: February has the most rain and snow of the winter. The ski institute’s clothing list for its Gulmarg courses makes a good checklist:
- Woollen inner wear, vest and trousers
- A winter jacket, and a windproof, waterproof jacket or raincoat
- A cap or balaclava, and gloves
- Goggles or sunglasses, sun cream and lip balm
- Woollen socks, with spares
From the general instructions and clothing list of IISM Gulmarg. Read 24 Oct 2026.
Warm spells can come too: in February 2026 people in Kashmir “started giving up pherans and woollens”, ETV Bharat reported, so bring layers you can take off.
February questions
Is February a good time to visit Kashmir?
For skiing and snow on the mountains, yes, with 10½ to 11½ hours of daylight. It is the wettest winter month, and heavy snow can stop flights and roads for a day. Snow isn’t certain: February 2026 was 89% short of normal.
Is there snowfall in Kashmir in February?
On the mountains there was some in each of the last three Februaries, in very different amounts. In 2024 Srinagar’s first snow of the winter came on 1 February, and in 2025 Gulmarg had 33.0 cm on 26 February. February 2026 was very dry, with light snow on 1 February.
Is Gulmarg open in February?
Yes. Gulmarg is not on the closure list, IISM’s ski courses run all month, and the Gondola runs when the weather allows. Under the cable car corporation’s notice it closes for maintenance on 8 and 22 February 2027.
Is Sonamarg open in February?
It is not on the closure list, and the Sonamarg tunnel gives “all-weather connectivity between Sonamarg and Gagangeer”; Sonamarg had 57,186 visitors in February 2025. Heavy snow can still disrupt the road: in late February 2025 the Met office warned of disruption on the Sonamarg–Zojila–Gumri axis, among other roads, The Tribune reported.
How cold is Kashmir in February?
On 1991–2020 averages Srinagar reaches 10.5°C by day and 0.7°C at night, Pahalgam 7.2°C and −3.9°C, and Gulmarg 1.8°C and −6.4°C. Cold snaps go lower: Pahalgam fell to −11.9°C on 5 February 2024.
When is Ramadan in 2027?
It is expected to begin on 8 or 9 February 2027, depending on the moon sighting; the date had not been announced as of 24 October 2026.
Sources
- WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020, stations 42027 Srinagar, 42044 Qazigund, 42028 Pahalgam and 42026 Gulmarg, published by NOAA NCEI.
- NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory, solar calculator equations, used to compute sunrise and sunset for Srinagar (34.08° N, 74.80° E, IST) on 1, 15 and 28 February 2027. Computed 24 Oct 2026.
- Kashmir Reader, first snowfall, highway shut, 2 Feb 2024; avalanche warning for 10 districts, 21 Feb 2024; Khelo India Gulmarg dates, 13 Feb 2026; Mahashivratri celebrated, 16 Feb 2026.
- Greater Kashmir, all flights cancelled, 5 Feb 2024; Pahalgam coldest at −11.9°C, 6 Feb 2024; Pahalgam roads made motorable, 24 Feb 2024; Srinagar–Leh highway reopens after 35 days, 21 Mar 2024; frozen Drung waterfall, 18 Dec 2024; precipitation deficit drops, 27 Feb 2025; Chenab valley routes reopen, 22 Apr 2025; vehicular movement restored on Bandipora–Gurez road, 10 Jan 2026; (PTI) Chillai Khurd begins, 31 Jan 2026; fresh snow on 1 February, 1 Feb 2026.
- Kashmir Life, winter games rescheduled, 2 Feb 2024; Pahalgam receives 3-inch snowfall, 27 Feb 2024; Sonamarg visitors in early 2025, 30 Mar 2025; Drung to reopen, 23 Nov 2025; Gurez road closed at Razdhan Pass, 31 Dec 2025; QR ski passes, 31 Jan 2026; Ramadan crescent sighted, 18 Feb 2026; Mughal Road reopens, 27 Feb 2026; Bandipora–Gurez road closed at Razdan Top, 7 Mar 2026; traffic advisory, 2 Aug 2026.
- ETV Bharat, DGCA fog season, 9 Dec 2025; Budgam–Banihal train extended to Katra, 9 Feb 2026; 14 tourist destinations reopened, 16 Feb 2026; April in February, 22 Feb 2026; seven winters of deficit, 3 Mar 2026; 45,000 Vande Bharat passengers in 10 days, 12 May 2026.
- The Tribune, Gondola services suspended, 27 Feb 2025.
- IANS, winter games from 9 March, 3 Mar 2025, and ANI via Newswav, Gulmarg leg closing, 26 Feb 2026.
- News On Air, Sonamarg tunnel, 13 Jan 2025; Zoji La closed, 28 Feb 2025; Mughal Road reopens after over 3 months, 16 Apr 2025; special trains for stranded travellers, 3 Feb 2026; Mughal Road stretch ordered reopened, 26 Feb 2026; Mughal Road closed for a fourth day, 19 Mar 2026.
- Kashmir Observer, Doodhpathri reopens after 10 months, 17 Feb 2026; Doodhpathri reopens after a temporary closure, 21 Aug 2026; tourist movement restricted in Budgam, 4 Sep 2026.
- Brighter Kashmir, Doodhpathri Snow Carnival 2026, 19 Feb 2026, and Gulf News, skiers killed in avalanche, 1 Feb 2023.
- The Quint, Chillai Kalan begins, 25 Dec 2021, and The Asian Age, tunnel brings Srinagar and Jammu closer, 5 Aug 2021.
- IISM Gulmarg, 2026–27 course schedule and general instructions and clothing list. Read 24 Oct 2026.
- Jammu & Kashmir Cable Car Corporation, notifications (“Gulmarg Gondola Maintenance Notice”, from 13 Jul 2026). Read 24 Oct 2026.
- Department of Personnel and Training, O.M. No. 12/2/2023-JCA of 16 July 2026, holidays for 2027, as forwarded by the Department of Posts on 8 Sep 2026 (PDF). Read 24 Oct 2026.
- Anantnag district administration, details of closed tourist destinations (start 07/07/2026, end 31/12/2026) and the list as on 07-07-2026 (PDF, 30 places). Read 24 Oct 2026.
- Kashmir News Service, Bandipora–Gurez road partially restored, 15 Oct 2026.
We write from published sources and do not claim personal visits. How we check facts.



