Snowfall in Kashmir: when and where it snows, month by month

When does snowfall start in Kashmir?

On the mountains first, then on the valley floor, often months apart. These are the earliest snowfalls of each season that we found reported, with both dates where outlets differ on which fall came first:

Most of these early falls were reported as light. Snow that settles on the valley floor comes much later, and the date moves by months:

Winters we could not date from a report we could read are left out. For 2025–26, Skymet called 23 January “the heaviest snowfall of the season so far”; we found no earlier report of snow in the city that winter.

November snow in Srinagar is unusual: 7 November 2019 was the “fifth time since 2000 when Srinagar recorded snowfall in November”, Kashmir Life noted. Other plains can get snow before the city does. On 12 December 2024, Shopian, Pulwama and Baramulla had light snow but “there was no snowfall in Srinagar”, Kashmir Reader reported.

Snow month by month

Each month’s average night at Srinagar and Gulmarg, from 30 years of station records, next to the snow actually reported in recent years.

Average night low in °C, WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020 for stations 42027 Srinagar and 42026 Gulmarg, published by NOAA NCEI. Snow reports as dated, from the sources below. The full weather for each month is in Kashmir weather month by month, and the spring months have their own guides: March, April and May.

Which month has the most snowfall?

There’s no official answer in days or centimetres. The 1991–2020 station normals measure rain and snow together, as water, and don’t count snow days, and we found no published snow-depth average for these stations. What the records do show points to late January and February:

• January is the coldest month at all five stations, from −1.9°C at night in Srinagar to −7.7°C at Gulmarg.
• February has the most rain and snow of the three winter months at all five stations. The Meteorological Centre Srinagar’s normal for Jammu and Kashmir is 130.4 mm in February, against 95.1 mm in January and 59.4 mm in December, ETV Bharat reported.
• Big falls of recent winters came then: 23 January 2026, 1 February 2024 and 26 February 2025.

March is wetter still, but by then the average night is above freezing in Srinagar, Qazigund and Kupwara, and the March 2026 spell brought snow to the high ground and rain to Srinagar, Kashmir Reader reported.

Recent winters have also fallen short of the averages. Jammu and Kashmir had 100.6 mm of rain and snow from December 2025 to February 2026, against a normal of 284.9 mm, according to Meteorological Centre Srinagar data reported by ETV Bharat. See Kashmir in winter for that season.

Where to see snow in Kashmir

Height decides it. Of the five stations with published 1991–2020 averages, only Gulmarg and Pahalgam average nights below freezing from November to March. Srinagar does so only in December and January.

Freezing nights: months whose average night low is below 0°C. Station heights, and December–February rain and snow measured as water, from the WMO Climate Normals 1991–2020 file for each station (42026, 42028, 42044, 42031, 42027), published by NOAA NCEI. A guide to cold, not a count of snow days.

Estimated road times according to the Go Kashmir app as of 23 October 2026; snow can add a lot. Snow reports from News24, ETV Bharat, News On Air and the other sources below.

Will it snow at Christmas and New Year?

Nobody can say months ahead. Here is what was reported in the fortnight from about 20 December to 2 January in the last four winters:

Sources: Kashmir Life, 29 Dec 2022; Outlook India (ANI), 8 Jan 2024, and ETV Bharat, 9 Jan 2024; News On Air, 27 Dec 2024; Outlook India, 22 Dec 2025, and News24, 23 Dec 2025.

So snow fell at Gulmarg in three of those four holiday fortnights, and in Srinagar in two. That’s a small sample, not a forecast. Chillai Kalan, “the 40-day harshest phase of winter”, begins on 21 December, ETV Bharat noted. The holiday week is busy too: Gulmarg recorded “nearly 100 per cent occupancy for the New Year week celebrations” in 2025–26, News On Air reported. More on the month in Kashmir in December.

Snow this season: winter 2026–27

1. 5 Sep 2026
   The season’s first snow on the higher reaches, “above around 3,900 metres”, including Sonamarg, the Zoji La, the heights around Gulmarg and Mahadev Peak, UNI reported.
2. 17 Sep 2026
   Light snow on the higher reaches of Gurez and Gulmarg, “particularly around Apharwat Peak and Gondola Phase 2”, Outlook Traveller reported.
3. 13–15 Oct 2026
   Snow at Razdan Pass on the evening of 13 October closed the Bandipora–Gurez road, WION reported, with snow at Affarwat too. It reopened on 14 October, Greater Kashmir reported, and was closed again on 15 October, ANI reported. Later that day it was partly restored, for vehicles from Bandipora to Gurez only, a Border Roads Organisation official told Kashmir News Service; we found no later report by 24 October.
4. 24 Oct 2026
   Forecast: light rain and “light snowfall over higher reaches”, the Meteorological Centre Srinagar said on 20 October, Kashmir Life reported.
5. 1–5 Nov 2026
   Forecast, after generally dry weather from 25 to 31 October: “light rain and light snowfall over higher reaches” at a few places from 1 to 3 November, and at a few to many places on 4–5 November, KINS reported on 23 October.

For the winter as a whole, the Meteorological Department 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, told The News Now that the winter may still be relatively dry under El Niño. In 2023–24, when El Niño was also in play, the MeT director said that “in Kashmir, this translates to prolonged dry spells, milder winters, and reduced snowfall”, ETV Bharat reported; that was the winter Srinagar waited until 1 February for its first snow. If snow is the point of your trip, keep your dates flexible.

For today’s weather, check the IMD Meteorological Centre, Srinagar. For the next four days at one place, each place card in Go Kashmir carries a 4-day forecast.

Roads after heavy snow

Snow closes the high roads first and the highway to Jammu only in the heaviest spells. Check the day’s traffic advisory before you set out; each road’s own guide has the dated detail.

• Tangmarg to Gulmarg: before forecast snow in December 2025, the Sub Divisional Magistrate Gulmarg barred “heavy vehicles and all vehicles not equipped with anti skid chains” from the road, Kashmir Life reported on 18 December 2025. On 27 December 2024, only light vehicles fitted with anti-skid chains were allowed beyond Tangmarg, for essential travel, and tourist vehicles only from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm, Kashmir Life reported. Ask whether your car has chains.
• Jammu–Srinagar highway (NH 44): shut by snow near the Navyug tunnel on 23 January 2026, according to Skymet, and still closed on the third day, PTI reported. See Jammu to Srinagar.
• Mughal Road: it “remains closed during the winter months due to heavy snowfall and slippery road conditions”, News On Air reported on 26 February 2026, and snow at Pir Ki Gali has shut it as late as 31 May, in 2025, Greater Kashmir reported.
• Sonamarg and the road to Leh: the Sonamarg tunnel gives “all-weather connectivity between Sonamarg and Gagangeer”, News On Air reported, but the Srinagar–Sonamarg–Gumri road was already closed on 27 January 2026, IANS reported, and snow shut the Srinagar–Leh highway on 4–5 November 2025, according to ETV Bharat. See Srinagar to Leh by road.
• Flights: heavy snow cancelled every Srinagar flight on 23 January 2026, according to Skymet. See the Srinagar airport guide.

• For the best chance of snow, aim for Gulmarg between late December and February.
• Keep a spare day either side of flights and long drives in case snow stops them.
• Check the IMD Srinagar forecast and the day’s traffic advisory before driving up.
• For the Tangmarg–Gulmarg stretch in snow, book a car fitted with anti-skid chains.

Snowfall questions