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Weather & seasons

Pahalgam weather: temperatures, snow and when to go, month by month

Pahalgam’s weather month by month from 30 years of station records: day and night temperatures, when it snows, Pahalgam vs Gulmarg, and the best months.

By Abbsar Bhat
Checked ·Updated ·13 min read

Pahalgam is colder than Srinagar in every month and warmer than Gulmarg by day. On 1991–2020 averages from its weather station, at 2,310 m, January is the coldest month, at 4.9°C by day and −6.1°C at night, and July the warmest, at 25.5°C and 12.9°C. March is the wettest month, with 171.2 mm of rain and snow, and October the driest, with 38.2 mm. Snow keeps no calendar: in winter 2025–26 the town’s first fell on 7 October and the first major fall came on 22–23 December. For today’s forecast, see the IMD Meteorological Centre, Srinagar.

Deep snow in the lower Aru Valley near Pahalgam
Deep snow in the lower Aru Valley near Pahalgam. Photo: Irfanaru, CC0
In this guide9 sections
  1. Pahalgam weather month by month
  2. Pahalgam in October, November, December and January
  3. Does it snow in Pahalgam?
  4. Is Pahalgam colder than Gulmarg?
  5. Best time to visit Pahalgam for the weather
  6. What’s open in each season
  7. Pahalgam weather today and this week
  8. Record highs and lows
  9. Pahalgam weather questions

At a glance

Weather station
2,310 m above sea level
January
4.9°C by day, −6.1°C at night
July
25.5°C by day, 12.9°C at night
Wettest month
March: 171.2 mm on 10.3 wet days
Driest month
October: 38.2 mm on 3.3 wet days
Snow in 2025–26
First on 7 Oct; 17 cm on 23 Jan as reported

Pahalgam 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* Thunder days
January 4.9° −6.1° 136.0 mm 8.1 0.0
February 7.2° −3.9° 144.5 mm 9.3 0.6
March 12.5° −0.3° 171.2 mm 10.3 1.9
April 17.6° 3.3° 144.2 mm 10.0 6.2
May 21.3° 5.8° 120.1 mm 9.8 11.0
June 24.2° 8.9° 91.2 mm 8.3 11.1
July 25.5° 12.9° 107.1 mm 8.8 8.1
August 25.4° 13.0° 114.9 mm 9.0 6.7
September 23.7° 8.7° 95.1 mm 7.0 5.8
October 19.9° 2.6° 38.2 mm 3.3 2.8
November 13.1° −1.4° 51.3 mm 3.0 0.3
December 7.9° −4.2° 59.7 mm 3.9 0.0

*Days with at least 2.5 mm of rain or snow. WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020 for station 42028 Pahalgam, published by NOAA NCEI. A typical year, not a forecast: the year’s total averages 1,273.5 mm, about 1.8 times Srinagar’s.

Average day and night temperature, Pahalgam °C, each bar runs from the night low to the day high
  1. −6.1°
  7. 25.5°

WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020, station 42028 Pahalgam. Warmest days: July, 25.5°C. Coldest nights: January, −6.1°C.

Rain and snow by month, Pahalgam millimetres, as water
  3. 171.2
  10. 38.2

WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020, station 42028 Pahalgam. Wettest: March, 171.2 mm. Driest: October, 38.2 mm.

Average nights stay below freezing from November to March. The gap between day and night is widest in October, when a 19.9°C afternoon falls to a 2.6°C night, so pack for both. Showers are frequent from April to August: the station averages 14–15 days a month with some rain (at least 0.3 mm) and 6–11 days with thunder, most in May and June.

Weather sites give very different numbers for Pahalgam. The Ministry of Tourism’s Incredible India page, for example, shows January as −12.5 to 10.0°C without naming a source. The figures on this page are 30-year averages from the station in Pahalgam, so single days will often be warmer or colder.

Pahalgam in October, November, December and January

October

The driest and clearest month: 19.9°C by day, 2.6°C at night, and 38.2 mm on 3.3 wet days. Snow can come early. On 7 October 2025 the town woke to its first snowfall of the season, about two inches, with snow in Aru Valley too, Greater Kashmir reported. In 2026 Pahalgam’s low was 0.6°C on 20 October and its high 19.4°C on 22 October, “marginally above normal”, according to Kashmir Life and Kashmir Observer.

November

The first month whose average night is below freezing: 13.1°C by day and −1.4°C at night, with 51.3 mm on 3.0 wet days. In 2025, 2.1 cm of snow fell on 4–5 November, and on 18 November Pahalgam was the coldest place in Jammu and Kashmir at −2.8°C, ETV Bharat reported (5 Nov, 18 Nov). In 2020, 10 cm fell on 23 November.

December

7.9°C by day and −4.2°C at night, with 59.7 mm on 3.9 wet days. Chillai Kalan, the 40 harshest days of winter, begins on 21 December. In 2025 Pahalgam was the coldest station in Kashmir on 7 December, at −4.3°C, and the first major snowfall of the winter left 4–5 inches on 22–23 December. In 2024 it recorded −6.8°C on 19 December, PTI reported, and snow fell on 27 December.

January

The coldest month: 4.9°C by day and −6.1°C at night, and 136.0 mm of rain and snow on 8.1 wet days, more than twice December’s. On 7 January 2026 the town fell to −8.6°C, its coldest night of that winter so far, PTI reported in Siasat, and 17 cm of snow was recorded on 23 January. The coldest January night in the station’s records is −18.6°C, in 1986.

Does it snow in Pahalgam?

Yes: snow was reported in the town in each of the winters below, but on no fixed dates, and the averages can’t say how often. The station measures rain and snow together, as water, and its normals don’t count snow days. Recent reports:

  1. 23 Nov 2020
    10 cm of snow, a MeT official said, as the plains had the season’s first snowfall, ETV Bharat reported.
  2. Feb 2024
    Up to a foot of snow over two days; an official told Greater Kashmir all the town’s roads were made motorable within 24 hours. Another 7.4 cm fell on 26–27 February, Kashmir Life reported.
  3. 27 Dec 2024
    Fresh snow at Pahalgam as Srinagar had its first snowfall of the winter, according to News On Air.
  4. 2–3 Feb 2025
    2.8 cm, the Meteorological Department said, Kashmir Reader reported.
  5. 7 Oct 2025
    Pahalgam’s first snowfall of the season, about two inches, according to Greater Kashmir.
  6. 4–5 Nov 2025
    2.1 cm in 24 hours, according to the Meteorological Centre Srinagar, ETV Bharat reported.
  7. 22–23 Dec 2025
    “Sonamarg and Pahalgam saw 4-5 inches” in the season’s first major snowfall, News24 reported.
  8. 23 Jan 2026
    17 cm, on the day the valley had the first heavy snowfall of the winter, according to IMD Srinagar figures reported by ETV Bharat.
  9. 1 Feb 2026
    “An inch or more” in a 20–25 minute fall, residents told Greater Kashmir.
  10. 28–29 Mar 2026
    Light to moderate snow overnight on the higher reaches, including Pahalgam, News On Air reported.

So in winter 2025–26 snow was reported at Pahalgam in every month from October to March, but most falls were a few centimetres and the largest reported was 17 cm. It was a dry winter: Anantnag district, which includes Pahalgam, had 62% less rain and snow than normal from December 2025 to February 2026, according to Meteorological Centre Srinagar data reported by ETV Bharat. First-snow dates across the valley are in Snowfall in Kashmir, and the coldest month in Kashmir in January.

For 2026–27, the Meteorological Department “has said the region could experience a relatively mild and dry winter in 2026-27 under the influence of El Niño, although one or two major snowfall spells during peak winter cannot be ruled out”, Outlook Traveller reported on 18 September. If you’re travelling for snow, keep your dates flexible; Kashmir in winter covers the rest of the valley.

Betaab Valley near Pahalgam under snow
Betaab Valley near Pahalgam under snow, 27 December 2020. Photo: Hums4r, CC BY-SA 4.0

Is Pahalgam colder than Gulmarg?

Not by day. Pahalgam’s average afternoons are 3.3–7.2°C warmer than Gulmarg’s in every month, and it gets less rain and snow over the year, though more from July to September. At night the two are close: Pahalgam’s average lows are within 2.5°C of Gulmarg’s all year, and slightly colder in May, June, October and November.

Detail Srinagar Pahalgam Gulmarg
Station height 1,585 m 2,310 m 2,652 m
January, day / night 7.1° / −1.9° 4.9° / −6.1° 0.7° / −7.7°
July, day / night 30.0° / 18.4° 25.5° / 12.9° 21.1° / 12.0°
Rain or snow a year 697.5 mm 1,273.5 mm 1,449.2 mm
Nights below 0°C on average Dec–Jan Nov–Mar Nov–Mar

WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020 for stations 42027 Srinagar, 42028 Pahalgam and 42026 Gulmarg, published by NOAA NCEI.

Average night low: Srinagar, Pahalgam and Gulmarg °C, 1991–2020 averages
  • Srinagar
  • Pahalgam
  • Gulmarg

WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020, stations 42027 Srinagar, 42028 Pahalgam and 42026 Gulmarg. Every value is in Kashmir weather month by month.

Reported nights often show the same pattern. Pahalgam was the colder of the two at −11.9°C against −10°C in the report of 6 February 2024 (Greater Kashmir), at −2.8°C against 2.0°C on 18 November 2025 (ETV Bharat) and at −4.3°C against −1.6°C on 7 December 2025 (Greater Kashmir). It was not on 7 January 2026, when Gulmarg fell to −9.2°C and Pahalgam to −8.6°C (PTI). For snow and skiing, see Gulmarg weather.

Best time to visit Pahalgam for the weather

If you want Go in Why
Mild days and few showers September and October 19.9–23.7°C days; 7.0 and 3.3 wet days
The warmest weather June to August 24.2–25.5°C days, but 8–9 wet days and frequent thunder
The best chance of snow Late December to February Most of the falls reported above, including the largest; dates vary
The fewest wet days October to December 3.0–3.9 wet days a month
Spring meadows April and May 17.6–21.3°C days, but about 10 wet days a month

Incredible India describes the meadows as “carpeted with wildflowers in the spring and blanketed with snow in the winter”. July and August are also Amarnath Yatra months, and Incredible India calls Pahalgam “the gateway to the sacred Amarnath cave”: in 2026 the Yatra was scheduled from 3 July to 28 August, News On Air reported. The 2027 dates have not been announced yet (checked 23 October 2026); see Amarnath Yatra 2027. For the whole valley, see the best time to visit Kashmir.

What’s open in each season

  • Betaab and Aru: Betaab Valley reopened on 17 June 2025, PTI reported, and Aru Valley reopened on 29 September 2025, PTI reported in The Tribune. They are an estimated 15–20 minutes and 35–45 minutes from Pahalgam by road, according to the Go Kashmir app as of 23 October 2026. We found no official statement on whether the Aru road is kept clear all winter, so ask locally. See Betaab vs Aru.
  • Getting there: Pahalgam is an estimated 2½–3½ hours by road from Srinagar, according to the Go Kashmir app as of 23 October 2026; snow can add a lot. Fares are in Srinagar taxi fares.
  • Avalanches: the J&K Disaster Management Authority issues avalanche warnings by district and height. On 20 February 2024, for example, it warned of a low-danger avalanche “above 2200 metres over Anantnag and Kulgam districts”, Kashmir Reader reported. Pahalgam’s weather station is at 2,310 m, so check the day’s warning before walking off the roads in winter.
The Lidder winding through the meadows of Betaab Valley
Betaab Valley, near Pahalgam, open again since June 2025. Photo: Sauood07, CC BY-SA 4.0

Everything else about the town, from local rates to what to see, is in the Pahalgam travel guide.

Pahalgam weather today and this week

We can’t show live weather. For today and tomorrow, check the IMD Meteorological Centre, Srinagar, or the 4-day forecast on Pahalgam’s place card in the Go Kashmir app. The latest readings we found:

  • Tuesday 20 October 2026: a night low of 0.6°C, Kashmir Life reported, against an October average of 2.6°C.
  • Thursday 22 October 2026: a day high of 19.4°C, “marginally above normal”, Kashmir Observer reported.
  • Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October 2026: a day high of 19.8°C on the 30th and a night low of 1.4°C on the morning of the 31st, with no rain, in the IMD Srinagar daily report of 31 October.
  • Forecast: 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.

Record highs and lows

Hottest and coldest days on record, Pahalgam °C; each bar runs from the coldest night to the hottest day recorded in that month
  1. −18.6°
  8. 32.2°

Station 42028 Pahalgam: the extremes listed in its WMO 1991–2020 climate normals file, with readings back to 1978. Hottest: 32.2°C on 2 Aug 1990. Coldest: −18.6°C on 11 Jan 1986.

The extremes listed in the station’s WMO file go back to 1978. The coldest night is −18.6°C, on 11 January 1986, and the hottest day 32.2°C, on 2 August 1990. These are extremes, not what to expect, though recent winters have come close to −12°C, as in the reading reported on 6 February 2024.

  • October: afternoons near 20°C and nights near freezing, so bring layers you can add and remove.
  • November to March: average nights below freezing, so pack a warm jacket, gloves and shoes with grip for snow and ice.
  • April and May: about 10 wet days a month and frequent thunder in May, so bring a rain jacket.
  • June to August: 24–25.5°C days but 9–13°C nights, so carry a warm layer for evenings and rain gear for showers.

Pahalgam weather questions

Does it snow in Pahalgam in December?

Often, but not on fixed dates. In 2025 the first major snowfall left 4–5 inches on 22–23 December, and in 2024 snow fell on 27 December. December averages 59.7 mm of rain and snow, less than half of January’s 136.0 mm.

Can I see snow in Pahalgam?

In each recent winter we checked, yes, but not on set dates. In 2025–26 snow was reported in the town in every month from October to March, but the largest reported fall was 17 cm, on 23 January 2026. For the best chance, go between late December and February and keep your dates flexible.

Is Pahalgam colder than Gulmarg?

Not by day: its afternoons are 3.3–7.2°C warmer in every month. Nights are close, and in October and November Pahalgam’s are slightly colder on average.

What is the best month to visit Pahalgam?

For mild, mostly dry weather, September or October. For snow, late December to February. June to August are the warmest months but bring frequent showers and thunder.

What is the temperature in Pahalgam in January?

On average 4.9°C by day and −6.1°C at night. On 7 January 2026 it fell to −8.6°C.

Is Pahalgam open in winter?

The town is not on the closure list, and after up to a foot of snow in February 2024 officials said its roads were cleared within 24 hours. Baisaran, Chandanwari and Tulian Lake are closed to tourists under orders that run to 31 December 2026.

Sources

  1. WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020, station 42028 Pahalgam (averages, wet days, days with rain and thunder, station height, records with dates), and stations 42026 Gulmarg and 42027 Srinagar, published by NOAA NCEI.
  2. India Meteorological Department, Meteorological Centre, Srinagar, for current forecasts.
  3. Ministry of Tourism, Incredible India: Pahalgam. Read 23 Oct 2026.
  4. ETV Bharat, season’s first snowfall, 23 Nov 2020; fresh snowfall in the upper reaches, 5 Nov 2025; Pahalgam at −2.8°C, 18 Nov 2025; sub-zero nights before Chillai Kalan, 19 Dec 2025; snowfall revives tourism, 25 Jan 2026; and the 2025–26 winter deficit, 3 Mar 2026.
  5. Greater Kashmir, Pahalgam coldest at −11.9°C, 6 Feb 2024; roads made motorable within 24 hours, 24 Feb 2024; early snowfall blankets Pahalgam, 8 Oct 2025; Pahalgam records season’s coldest night, 7 Dec 2025; and fresh snow on 1 February, 1 Feb 2026.
  6. Kashmir Life, Pahalgam receives 3-inch snowfall, 27 Feb 2024; Chillai Kalan begins, 20 Dec 2023; and MeT forecasts fresh rain and snow, 20 Oct 2026.
  7. Kashmir Reader, avalanche warning for 10 districts, 21 Feb 2024, and intermittent rain and snow till 10 February, 3 Feb 2025.
  8. Deccan Herald (PTI), Kashmir reels under intense cold, 19 Dec 2024.
  9. News On Air, season’s first snowfall, 27 Dec 2024; Amarnath Yatra registration, 15 Apr 2026; and fresh snowfall shuts the Srinagar–Leh highway, 29 Mar 2026.
  10. News24, first major snowfall, 23 Dec 2025, and cloudbursts and flash floods, 4 Aug 2026.
  11. Siasat (PTI), cold conditions intensify, 8 Jan 2026.
  12. India TV, flash flood hits Pahalgam, 1 Sep 2026.
  13. Outlook Traveller, season’s first snowfall as winter arrives early, 18 Sep 2026.
  14. Kashmir Observer, no major weather change till month-end, 22 Oct 2026, and Kashmir Indepth (KINS), MeT forecast to 5 November, 23 Oct 2026.
  15. Anantnag district administration, details of closed tourist destinations as on 07-07-2026 (PDF covering seven districts, linked from its notice, end date 31 Dec 2026). Read 23 Oct 2026.
  16. National Herald (PTI), parks at tourist destinations reopened, 17 Jun 2025, and The Tribune, 12 tourist spots to reopen from 29 September, 26 Sep 2025.
  17. Go Kashmir app, estimated road times from Srinagar to Pahalgam and from Pahalgam to Betaab and Aru, 23 Oct 2026.

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

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