There is a huge variation in the climatic conditions ofHimachal Pradesh due to variation in altitude (360–6500 metres). The climate varies from hot and sub-humid tropical (450–900 metres) in the southern low tracts, warm and temperate (900–1800 metres), cool and temperate (1800–2400 metres) and cold glacial and alpine (2400–4800 metres) in the northern and eastern high elevated mountain. Pollution is affecting the climate of almost all the states of India.
By October, nights and mornings are very cold. Snowfall at elevations of nearly 3,000 metres or 9,800 feet is about 3 metres or 120 inches and lasts from a December start to March end. Above 4,500 metres or 14,800 feet lies perpetual snow.
The spring season starts from mid February to mid April. The weather is pleasant and comfortable in this season. The rainy season starts at the end of the month of June. The landscape lushes green and fresh. During the season streams and natural springs are replenished. The heavy rains in July and August causeerosion,floods andlandslides. Of all the state districts,Dharamshala receives the highest rainfall, nearly about 3,400 millimetres or 130 inches.Spiti is the driest area of the state (rainfall below 200 millimetres or 8 inches[1]), because it is enclosed by high mountains on all sides.[2]
| Altitude | Up to 800 metres (2,600 ft) | 800 to 1,600 metres (2,600 to 5,200 ft) | 1,600 to 2,700 metres (5,200 to 8,900 ft) | 2,700 to 3,600 metres (8,900 to 11,800 ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type of area | Valley areas and foothills | Hilly and mountain ranges | Alpine zone | Lahaul, Spiti and Kinnaur range |
| Climatic conditions | Subtropical | Slightly warm temperature | Cool temperature with humidity | Dry and extremely cold conditions |
| Precipitation | 1,500 millimetres or 60 inches | 1,500 to 3,000 millimetres or 60 to 120 inches | 1,000 to 1,500 millimetres or 40 to 60 inches | 500 millimetres or 20 inches |
| % of total geographical area | 30% | 10% | 25% | 35% |
| % of total cultivated area | 56% | 30% | 10% | 5% |
The average annual rainfall is 1,251 millimetres or 49 inches. The rainy season starts at the end of the month of June. The landscape lushes green and fresh. During the seasonal streams and natural springs are replenished. The heavy rains in July and August cause erosion, floods, and landslides. Of all the state districts, Dharamshala receives the highest precipitation, nearly about 3,400 millimetres or 130 inches. Spiti is the driest area of the state with precipitation below 200 millimetres or 8 inches.[1]
Climate data for Dharamshala (1991–2020, extremes 1951–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 24.7 (76.5) | 28.0 (82.4) | 33.4 (92.1) | 36.2 (97.2) | 38.6 (101.5) | 38.6 (101.5) | 42.7 (108.9) | 37.8 (100.0) | 34.8 (94.6) | 34.6 (94.3) | 28.6 (83.5) | 27.2 (81.0) | 42.7 (108.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 16.0 (60.8) | 17.8 (64.0) | 22.5 (72.5) | 26.9 (80.4) | 30.8 (87.4) | 30.9 (87.6) | 27.5 (81.5) | 26.6 (79.9) | 26.8 (80.2) | 25.6 (78.1) | 22.0 (71.6) | 18.4 (65.1) | 24.4 (75.9) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 5.9 (42.6) | 7.3 (45.1) | 10.7 (51.3) | 14.8 (58.6) | 19.0 (66.2) | 20.5 (68.9) | 19.7 (67.5) | 19.2 (66.6) | 17.8 (64.0) | 14.2 (57.6) | 10.2 (50.4) | 7.1 (44.8) | 13.9 (57.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −1.9 (28.6) | −1.6 (29.1) | 2.4 (36.3) | 7.3 (45.1) | 8.4 (47.1) | 12.6 (54.7) | 14.3 (57.7) | 14.1 (57.4) | 11.2 (52.2) | 8.0 (46.4) | 4.8 (40.6) | −1.0 (30.2) | −1.9 (28.6) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 83.6 (3.29) | 128.3 (5.05) | 111.3 (4.38) | 65.7 (2.59) | 72.4 (2.85) | 279.0 (10.98) | 859.0 (33.82) | 942.3 (37.10) | 377.7 (14.87) | 52.6 (2.07) | 18.8 (0.74) | 36.6 (1.44) | 3,027.3 (119.19) |
| Average rainy days | 4.5 | 6.2 | 6.1 | 5.1 | 4.8 | 10.7 | 22.0 | 23.0 | 13.9 | 2.6 | 1.2 | 2.2 | 102.3 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%)(at 17:30IST) | 67 | 67 | 58 | 55 | 50 | 59 | 81 | 85 | 78 | 65 | 64 | 66 | 66 |
| Source:India Meteorological Department[3][4][5] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data forShimla (KöppenCwb) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 21.4 (70.5) | 22.6 (72.7) | 25.8 (78.4) | 29.6 (85.3) | 32.4 (90.3) | 31.5 (88.7) | 28.9 (84.0) | 27.8 (82.0) | 28.6 (83.5) | 25.6 (78.1) | 23.5 (74.3) | 20.5 (68.9) | 32.4 (90.3) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 10.9 (51.6) | 11.9 (53.4) | 15.8 (60.4) | 20.5 (68.9) | 24.1 (75.4) | 24.8 (76.6) | 22.6 (72.7) | 22.0 (71.6) | 22.1 (71.8) | 20.3 (68.5) | 16.7 (62.1) | 13.5 (56.3) | 18.8 (65.8) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.8 (37.0) | 3.7 (38.7) | 7.0 (44.6) | 11.4 (52.5) | 14.6 (58.3) | 16.2 (61.2) | 15.9 (60.6) | 15.5 (59.9) | 14.1 (57.4) | 11.1 (52.0) | 7.8 (46.0) | 5.1 (41.2) | 10.4 (50.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −10.6 (12.9) | −8.5 (16.7) | −6.1 (21.0) | −1.3 (29.7) | 1.4 (34.5) | 7.8 (46.0) | 9.4 (48.9) | 10.6 (51.1) | 5.0 (41.0) | 0.2 (32.4) | −1.1 (30.0) | −12.2 (10.0) | −12.2 (10.0) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 66.4 (2.61) | 75.3 (2.96) | 81.2 (3.20) | 60.8 (2.39) | 90.3 (3.56) | 181.9 (7.16) | 329.8 (12.98) | 320.4 (12.61) | 142.3 (5.60) | 36.7 (1.44) | 18.4 (0.72) | 24.2 (0.95) | 1,427.7 (56.21) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 42 (17) | 43 (17) | 7 (2.8) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 7 (2.8) | 99 (39.6) |
| Average rainy days | 4.2 | 5.6 | 6.1 | 4.8 | 7.0 | 9.6 | 17.0 | 15.7 | 8.2 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 2.0 | 83.7 |
| Average snowy days | 4.2 | 4.2 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 1.3 | 11.2 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%)(at 17:30IST) | 67 | 65 | 57 | 47 | 48 | 62 | 85 | 88 | 79 | 63 | 61 | 60 | 65 |
| Averagedew point °C (°F) | 8 (46) | 12 (54) | 15 (59) | 16 (61) | 19 (66) | 23 (73) | 26 (79) | 26 (79) | 24 (75) | 19 (66) | 13 (55) | 10 (50) | 18 (64) |
| Averageultraviolet index | 3 | 3 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| Source 1:India Meteorological Department (snow 1990–2010)[6][7][8] Time and Date (dewpoints, 2005-2015)[9] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Weather Atlas[10] | |||||||||||||
| Climate data forSundar Nagar (KöppenCwa) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 27.7 (81.9) | 30.5 (86.9) | 35.0 (95.0) | 39.9 (103.8) | 41.4 (106.5) | 42.1 (107.8) | 39.2 (102.6) | 35.1 (95.2) | 34.1 (93.4) | 33.6 (92.5) | 31.2 (88.2) | 26.8 (80.2) | 42.1 (107.8) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 17.8 (64.0) | 19.8 (67.6) | 24.7 (76.5) | 30.1 (86.2) | 33.8 (92.8) | 34.1 (93.4) | 30.9 (87.6) | 30.2 (86.4) | 30.3 (86.5) | 28.5 (83.3) | 24.3 (75.7) | 19.5 (67.1) | 27.0 (80.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | 2.8 (37.0) | 5.1 (41.2) | 9.0 (48.2) | 13.0 (55.4) | 17.1 (62.8) | 20.0 (68.0) | 21.8 (71.2) | 21.5 (70.7) | 18.6 (65.5) | 11.8 (53.2) | 6.3 (43.3) | 3.0 (37.4) | 12.5 (54.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −2.7 (27.1) | −1.9 (28.6) | −0.4 (31.3) | 0.5 (32.9) | 9.6 (49.3) | 11.4 (52.5) | 16.5 (61.7) | 15.1 (59.2) | 10.2 (50.4) | 5.4 (41.7) | 1.0 (33.8) | −1.6 (29.1) | −2.7 (27.1) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 61.9 (2.44) | 72.4 (2.85) | 78.1 (3.07) | 50.5 (1.99) | 83.1 (3.27) | 176.6 (6.95) | 348.8 (13.73) | 314.3 (12.37) | 137.1 (5.40) | 35.7 (1.41) | 13.2 (0.52) | 35.5 (1.40) | 1,407.4 (55.41) |
| Average rainy days | 4.0 | 5.4 | 5.8 | 3.9 | 6.3 | 9.2 | 14.9 | 13.8 | 7.1 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 2.1 | 75.4 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%)(at 17:30IST) | 54 | 48 | 42 | 34 | 37 | 49 | 71 | 76 | 69 | 54 | 53 | 57 | 54 |
| Source:India Meteorological Department[11][12] | |||||||||||||
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