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Weather & seasons

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

Kashmir in November: temperatures for five stations, snow in recent Novembers, chinar colours, roads, flights, the Gondola and what’s open in 2026.

By Abbsar Bhat
Checked ·Updated ·16 min read

November is Kashmir’s late-autumn month: dry days, nights near or below freezing, and the last chinar colours in Srinagar’s gardens. On 1991–2020 averages Srinagar reaches 15.9°C by day and 1.2°C at night, while Gulmarg (9.0°C and −0.6°C) and Pahalgam (13.1°C and −1.4°C) average nights below freezing. Snow is possible but not dependable: Gulmarg had 7.6 cm on 4–5 November 2025, yet Srinagar had November snow in only five years from 2000 to 2019, Kashmir Life reported. Gulmarg’s ski courses start only on 20 December, though the Gondola runs, and closure orders for 30 places run to 31 December 2026, so check what’s open before you go.

Chinar trees in autumn colour along the Chinar Bagh canal, Srinagar
Chinar trees in autumn colour along the Chinar Bagh canal, Srinagar, 23 November 2025. Photo: Talib kashmir, CC BY-SA 4.0
In this guide13 sections
  1. Is November a good time to visit Kashmir?
  2. November weather by place
  3. Will it snow in November?
  4. The forecast for November 2026
  5. Chinar colours and the saffron bloom
  6. First half or second half of November?
  7. Gulmarg in November
  8. Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Doodhpathri and Gurez
  9. Roads in November
  10. Flights and the government’s winter move
  11. What’s open in November 2026
  12. What to wear in November
  13. November questions

At a glance

Srinagar
15.9°C by day, 1.2°C at night
Gulmarg
9.0°C by day, −0.6°C at night
Wet days in Srinagar
2.2 in a typical November
Daylight in Srinagar
About 10¾ hours on 1 Nov 10 h 5 min on 30 Nov
Gondola maintenance
9 and 23 November 2026 JKCCC notice
IISM ski booking opens
12 November 2026, 10:00 courses from 20 Dec
Closure orders run to
31 December 2026

Is November a good time to visit Kashmir?

It is if you want dry weather and autumn colour before winter sets in, and can pack for cold nights:

  • For: one of the driest months, with about two wet days in Srinagar; chinar trees turning red and gold in the Mughal gardens; and the end of the saffron bloom around Pampore in the first half of the month.
  • Against: average nights below freezing in Gulmarg and Pahalgam and only just above it in Srinagar, under 11 hours of daylight, and early snow that can shut the high roads.
  • Not certain: snow. In 2025 Gulmarg had snow on 4–5 November and then a long dry spell; Srinagar had November snow in only five years from 2000 to 2019.
  • Too early for: skiing. Gulmarg’s ski courses start on 20 December 2026.

The trade-offs of every month are in the best time to visit Kashmir, and the month before is in Kashmir in October.

November weather by place

Place Day Night Rain or snow Wet days*
Kupwara 16.1°C 0.4°C 56.3 mm 3.4
Srinagar 15.9°C 1.2°C 27.7 mm 2.2
Qazigund 15.7°C 1.0°C 48.3 mm 2.8
Pahalgam 13.1°C −1.4°C 51.3 mm 3.0
Gulmarg 9.0°C −0.6°C 57.2 mm 3.7

*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 Kupwara (42031), Srinagar (42027), Qazigund (42044), Pahalgam (42028) and Gulmarg (42026), published by NOAA NCEI.

Average day and night temperature, Srinagar °C, each bar runs from the night low to the day high
  1. −1.9°
  7. 30.0°

WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020, station 42027 Srinagar. Warmest days: July, 30.0°C. Coldest nights: January, −1.9°C.

November is when the cold arrives. Srinagar’s average day falls from 23.0°C in October to 15.9°C, and its average night from 6.2°C to 1.2°C. It stays dry: Srinagar gets 27.7 mm of rain and snow in an average November, less than half of Gulmarg’s 57.2 mm. Fog becomes more common too, though still rare: Srinagar averages 1.1 fog days in November, against 0.2 in October and 1.5 in December.

Clear, dry nights can be much colder than the averages. On 14 November 2025, amid “a prolonged dry spell”, Srinagar recorded −1.9°C and Pahalgam −3.8°C, and officials put the drop down to “persistent clear skies that accelerate night-time radiational cooling”, ETV Bharat reported. The coldest November nights in the station records are −7.8°C in Srinagar (29 November 1934), −10.0°C in Gulmarg (29 November 1996) and −10.8°C in Pahalgam (15 November 1978). Every month is in Kashmir weather month by month.

Will it snow in November?

On the mountains, quite possibly; in Srinagar, less often. The averages count rain and snow together, so they can’t say how often it snows. These are the November snowfalls we could date from reports we read:

November What happened
2019 Snow on Gulmarg and Sonamarg on 6 November, then very light snow in Srinagar on 7 November, the “fifth time since 2000 when Srinagar recorded snowfall in November”, Kashmir Life reported. Two flights were cancelled.
2020 On 23 November most of the valley’s plains had the season’s first snow; Gulmarg recorded four inches and Pahalgam 10 cm, a MeT official said, and the Srinagar–Leh road and the Mughal Road closed, ETV Bharat reported.
2024 Snow at Sonamarg on 11 November closed the Sonamarg–Kargil highway, and the Mughal Road and the Bandipora–Gurez road were shut, News On Air reported; Kashmir Life dated those two closures to the evening of 11 November. Snow at Razdan Top shut the Gurez road again on 23 and 30 November, according to Greater Kashmir (23 Nov, 30 Nov).
2025 Gulmarg had 7.6 cm of snow and Pahalgam 2.1 cm in the 24 hours to 5 November, according to the Meteorological Centre Srinagar, and the Srinagar–Leh highway closed, ETV Bharat reported. Then it turned dry: on 18 November the Met department forecast “dry weather till the first week of December”, ETV Bharat reported.

Novembers we could not date from a report we read are left out. Srinagar’s wettest November day in the station record, 76.8 mm measured as water, is dated 8 November 2019, the day after Kashmir Life reported that year’s first snow in the city.

In these years November snow fell mostly on Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Pahalgam and the passes. First-snow dates for every recent season, on the peaks and in Srinagar, are in snowfall in Kashmir, and the months that follow are in Kashmir in winter.

The forecast for November 2026

  • The first days: the IMD Srinagar 7-day forecast issued on 31 October gives isolated rain or thunder in Kashmir from 1 to 2 November, dry weather on 3 and 4 November, isolated rain or thunder on 5 November and dry weather on 6 November.
  • The winter as a whole: the Meteorological Department has said the region “could experience a relatively mild and dry winter in 2026-27 under the influence of El Niño”, though “one or two major snowfall spells during peak winter cannot be ruled out”, Outlook Traveller reported on 18 September. On 9 October the MeT director, Mukhtar Ahmad, indicated that December could remain relatively dry, similar to the previous year, The News Now reported, adding that seasonal outcomes remain uncertain.

Forecasts change quickly, so check the IMD Meteorological Centre, Srinagar a few days before you travel. For the next four days at one place, each place card in Go Kashmir carries a 4-day forecast.

Chinar colours and the saffron bloom

  • Chinars: in early November 2024 the trees had “begun to be decked in vivid red, gold, and green colours”, and the Mughal Gardens, “filled with Chinar trees”, were “the top choice for tourists”, ETV Bharat reported on 4 November. Three weeks later, on 26 November, Nishat, Shalimar, Harwan, Cheshma Shahi, Pari Mahal, Naseem Bagh and Chinar Bagh looked “fabulous with a golden carpet of fallen leaves”, and the Tourism Department was promoting Harud, the local name for autumn, Greater Kashmir reported. See places to visit in Srinagar.
  • Saffron: the flowering in the fields around Pampore “typically occurs from late October to November 15”, the Director of Agriculture Kashmir explained at the Jashn-e-Zaffran festival there in 2023, Kashmir Reader reported. The bloom varies: in 2025 the president of the Kashmir Saffron Growers Association put it at “only 15 to 20 per cent of normal levels”, Deccan Herald reported on 26 October 2025. Pampore is an estimated 30–45 minutes by road from Srinagar, according to the Go Kashmir app as of 24 October 2026.

First half or second half of November?

Detail 1–15 November 16–30 November
Daylight in Srinagar Sunrise 06:50, sunset 17:39 on 1 November Sunrise 07:17, sunset 17:22 on 30 November
Chinar colours Turning in early November 2024 A “golden carpet” of fallen leaves on 26 November 2024
Saffron bloom To about 15 November Usually over
Gulmarg Gondola Closed Monday 9 November 2026 Closed Monday 23 November 2026
Ski course booking Opens 12 November 2026, 10:00 —
In 2024 Snow on 11 November shut the Mughal, Gurez and Sonamarg–Kargil roads Gurez road shut by snow on 23 and 30 November
In 2025 Snow at Gulmarg and Pahalgam on 4–5 November Dry and cold: Pahalgam −2.8°C on 18 November
In 2026 Isolated rain or thunder forecast for 1–2 and 5 November, dry on 3–4 and 6 November (IMD, 31 October) Not forecast yet (31 October)

Sunrise and sunset for Srinagar (34.08° N, 74.80° E, IST) from sunrise-sunset.org, for a flat horizon. The rest is sourced in the sections around this table.

Neither half is reliably snowier. Days shorten by about 44 minutes over the month, which matters for long day trips from Srinagar.

Gulmarg in November

Gulmarg is not on the official list of closed destinations as on 7 July 2026. Four places listed under Tangmarg, the town below it, are closed to tourists under orders that run to 31 December 2026: Babareshi, Ringawali, Gogaldara and Baderkote.

  • Weather: 9.0°C by day and −0.6°C at night on November averages. Snow fell on 6 November 2019, on 23 November 2020 (four inches) and on 4–5 November 2025 (7.6 cm), as above. See Gulmarg weather.
  • The Gondola: a notice on the Jammu & Kashmir Cable Car Corporation’s site says it “shall remain closed on the 2nd and 4th Monday of every month for preventive maintenance”; in November 2026 those are 9 and 23 November. Another notice, shown from 21 October 2026, says boarding “commences at 8:30 AM for Phase-I and 9:15 AM for Phase-II”. Book only through the official JKCCC site; see Gondola tickets.
  • Skiing is still weeks away: the Indian Institute of Skiing and Mountaineering (IISM) runs 14-day snow skiing courses at Gulmarg from 20 December 2026 to 13 March 2027. Its page gives the booking date as “12TH NOVEMBER 2026 AT 10:00 HRS”, with fees of ₹10,000 up to age 25 and ₹20,000 above (IISM schedule, read 24 October 2026); its admission page says places go “On first-cum-first serve basis”.
  • Getting there: an estimated 1½–2¼ hours by road from Srinagar, according to the Go Kashmir app as of 24 October 2026; fares are in Srinagar taxi fares.
Snow-covered mountains above Gulmarg
Snow on the mountains above Gulmarg. Photo: Ask6626, CC BY-SA 4.0

Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Doodhpathri and Gurez

Pahalgam

  • 13.1°C by day and −1.4°C at night on November averages. On 18 November 2025 it was the coldest place in Jammu and Kashmir at −2.8°C, ETV Bharat reported.
  • Closed to tourists under orders to 31 December 2026: Baisaran, Chandanwari and Tulian Lake.
  • An estimated 2½–3½ hours by road from Srinagar. See Pahalgam weather.

Sonamarg

  • No weather station here. Snow was reported on 6 November 2019, 11 November 2024 and 4–5 November 2025.
  • The Sonamarg tunnel gives “all-weather connectivity between Sonamarg and Gagangeer”, News On Air reported in January 2025.
  • An estimated 2–3 hours by road from Srinagar. See the Sonamarg guide.

Doodhpathri

Gurez

  • The one road in crosses Razdan Pass, and November snow has shut it before: on 11, 23 and 30 November 2024.
  • This year: after snow on 15 October 2026 it reopened for traffic “only from Bandipora towards Gurez”, officials told Kashmir News Service. We found no later report by 24 October.
  • An estimated 5½–7¾ hours by road. See the Gurez guide.

Road times from Srinagar are estimates from the Go Kashmir app as of 24 October 2026; snow can add a lot.

Roads in November

Snow shuts the high roads first, while the Jammu highway stayed open in the November snow spells we found.

  • Jammu–Srinagar highway (NH 44): open during the snow of 23 November 2020, “even as it was snowing around the Jawahar Tunnel” (ETV Bharat), and of 11 November 2024 (News On Air). On 15 October 2026 traffic was allowed both ways “subject to favourable weather and road conditions”, with caution advised between Ramban and Banihal, Kashmir News Service reported. See Jammu to Srinagar.
  • Mughal Road: shut by November snow in 2020, 2024 and 2025, when it closed at Peer Ki Gali after snow on the evening of 4 November, WION reported. In 2026 it reopened on 15 October after October snow, for light vehicles and heavy vehicles of up to 10 tyres between 7 am and 6 pm, Kashmir News Service reported. It “remains closed during the winter months due to heavy snowfall and slippery road conditions”, News On Air noted in February 2026.
  • Zoji La and the road to Leh: closed by snow on 23 November 2020, 11 November 2024 and 4–5 November 2025, as above. On 15 October 2026 light vehicles were allowed through the Zoji La “under regulated timings”. See Srinagar to Leh by road.
  • Sinthan: Sinthan Top is closed to tourists under orders that run to 31 December 2026, though light vehicles were allowed both ways on the Kishtwar–Sinthan–Anantnag road during set hours on 15 October 2026, Kashmir News Service reported.
  • Gurez: one way only since 15 October 2026, as above.

Flights and the government’s winter move

  • Later flights this winter: the winter flight schedule begins on 25 October 2026, and Srinagar airport has withdrawn the limit that kept operations to 08:00–17:00, “paving the way for flights beyond 5 pm”, UNI reported on 19 October. Departures still depend on “operational requirements”. See the Srinagar airport guide.
  • Fares: on 24 October 2026 Air India Express showed Delhi–Srinagar one-way fares “From ₹6,737” for November and “From ₹7,889” for December, collected “within the last 48hrs” (Air India Express). Other routes are in Delhi to Kashmir.
  • Fog: Srinagar averages about one fog day in November (1.1 in the station normals), up from 0.2 in October.
  • The Darbar Move: the offices that move for the winter close in Srinagar on 30 or 31 October and reopen in Jammu on 2 November 2026, under the General Administration Department’s Government Order No. 1664-JK(GAD) of 19 October 2026, which also sets up a Winter Secretariat at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar, as News On Air reported on 21 October. The twice-yearly move resumed in November 2025 after a four-year gap, The Tribune reported. It matters to visitors only if you have business with a department that moves.

What’s open in November 2026

  • Not on the closure list: Gulmarg, Pahalgam town, Sonamarg and Doodhpathri. The Gondola’s only announced November closures are its maintenance Mondays, 9 and 23 November, and Doodhpathri was last reported open on 21 August 2026, when it reopened.
  • Shut to tourists: Yusmarg, since 4 September 2026; we found no reopening reported by 24 October.
  • One way only: the road to Gurez, since 15 October 2026.
  • Pack for nights below freezing in Gulmarg and Pahalgam, and close to it in Srinagar.
  • Keep a spare day in case snow shuts the Mughal, Gurez or Zoji La roads.
  • Book the Gondola ahead, and avoid Monday 9 and Monday 23 November.
  • For a ski course this winter, be ready when IISM booking opens at 10:00 on 12 November.
  • Call a Traffic Control Unit before driving to Gurez, Sonamarg or over the Mughal Road.

What to wear in November

Dress for mild afternoons and cold nights: Srinagar’s average day is 15.9°C and its average night 1.2°C, and Gulmarg’s are 9.0°C and −0.6°C. The ski institute’s list for trainees on its trekking courses makes a good checklist for the hills:

  • A winter jacket, rain coat or windproof layer
  • Waterproof trousers and sufficient warm clothing
  • Gloves, and a balaclava or cap
  • Sunglasses, sun cream and lip balm
  • Hiking boots and spare socks

From the general instructions and clothing list of IISM Gulmarg, “For Trekking Courses” (page updated 8 June 2026). Read 24 Oct 2026.

November questions

Is November a good time to visit Kashmir?

For dry weather, autumn colour and the last of the saffron bloom, yes. Expect nights below freezing in Gulmarg and Pahalgam, under 11 hours of daylight and, in some years, early snow that shuts the high roads. It is too early for skiing.

Does it snow in Kashmir in November?

Often on the mountains, less often in Srinagar. Gulmarg had snow on 4–5 November 2025 and four inches on 23 November 2020, when most of the valley’s plains had their first snow. Srinagar’s snow on 7 November 2019 was only the fifth November snowfall there since 2000, Kashmir Life noted.

Can you ski in Gulmarg in November?

Not on an IISM course: they run from 20 December 2026 to 13 March 2027, and booking opens at 10:00 on 12 November 2026. The Gondola’s only announced November closures are its maintenance Mondays, 9 and 23 November.

Is Gurez Valley open in November?

The road over Razdan Pass is open between snowfalls, but November snow has shut it before, three times in November 2024. As of 24 October 2026 it was open one way, from Bandipora to Gurez, since 15 October. Check before you go.

Is the Srinagar–Leh highway open in November?

Usually, between spells of snow. Snow closed it on 23 November 2020, 11 November 2024 and 4–5 November 2025. See Srinagar to Leh by road.

Is November or December better for Kashmir?

November is milder, with autumn colour and slightly more daylight. December is colder, with Srinagar’s average night at −1.6°C, Gulmarg gets more rain and snow (74.1 mm against 57.2 mm), and the ski season starts on 20 December.

Sources

  1. WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020, stations 42031 Kupwara, 42027 Srinagar, 42044 Qazigund, 42028 Pahalgam and 42026 Gulmarg, published by NOAA NCEI.
  2. Sunrise-sunset.org, sunrise and sunset API, Srinagar (34.08° N, 74.80° E, Asia/Kolkata), 1 and 30 November 2026. Read 24 Oct 2026.
  3. Kashmir Life, Srinagar’s first snowfall, 7 Nov 2019; Mughal Road, Bandipora–Gurez road closed due to fresh snowfall, 11 Nov 2024; and traffic advisory for commuters, 2 Aug 2026.
  4. ETV Bharat, season’s first snowfall, 23 Nov 2020; chinar trees in autumn, 4 Nov 2024; fresh snowfall at Gulmarg, Srinagar–Leh highway shut, 5 Nov 2025; cold wave intensifies, 14 Nov 2025; Pahalgam at minus 2.8°C, 18 Nov 2025.
  5. News On Air, Mughal Road and Gurez roads closed after snow, 12 Nov 2024; Sonamarg tunnel, 13 Jan 2025; Mughal Road stretch to reopen, 26 Feb 2026; annual Darbar Move ordered, 21 Oct 2026.
  6. Greater Kashmir, fresh snowfall shuts Gurez–Bandipora road, 23 Nov 2024, and road closed again, 30 Nov 2024; Harud paints Kashmir in gold and crimson, 26 Nov 2024.
  7. WION, Mughal Road closed after fresh snowfall, 5 Nov 2025.
  8. India Meteorological Department, Meteorological Centre Srinagar, 7-day forecast issued 31 Oct 2026; earlier outlook: Kashmir Indepth (KINS), MeT forecast to 5 November, 23 Oct 2026; Outlook Traveller, season’s first snowfall and the winter outlook, 18 Sep 2026; The News Now, MeT director on a dry winter, 9 Oct 2026.
  9. Kashmir Reader, Jashn-e-Zaffran held in Pampore, 3 Nov 2023, and Deccan Herald, heatwaves wilt hopes of a bumper saffron harvest, 26 Oct 2025.
  10. Kashmir News Service, Mughal Road reopens, Bandipora–Gurez road partially restored, 15 Oct 2026.
  11. Rising Kashmir, Doodhpathri reopens after month-long closure, 22 Aug 2026, and Kashmir Observer, Yousmarg shut to tourists, 4 Sep 2026.
  12. Jammu & Kashmir Cable Car Corporation, official site and its notifications (“Gulmarg Gondola Maintenance Notice”, from 13 Jul 2026; “Gulmarg Gondola Boarding Time Advisory”, from 21 Oct 2026). Read 24 Oct 2026.
  13. IISM Gulmarg, 2026–27 course schedule, admission process and general instructions and clothing list. Read 24 Oct 2026.
  14. UNI, Srinagar airport withdraws flight hour restrictions, 19 Oct 2026, and Air India Express, Delhi to Srinagar flights. Read 24 Oct 2026.
  15. General Administration Department, Government of Jammu and Kashmir, Annual Darbar Move of Offices from Srinagar to Jammu for the Winter Season 2026-27, Government Order No. 1664-JK(GAD) of 2026, 19 Oct 2026, read 24 Oct 2026; and The Tribune, Darbar Move resumes after a four-year gap, 3 Nov 2025.
  16. 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.
  17. IMD Meteorological Centre, Srinagar, for the current forecast.

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

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