| Jammu and Kashmir |
| Jammu The climate of Jammu and Kashmir varies greatly owing to its rugged topography. In the south, around Jammu, the climate is typically monsoonal, although the region is sufficiently far west to average 40 to 50 mm of rain per month between January and March. In the hot season Jammu city is very hot and can reach up to 40°C, whilst in July and August very heavy though erratic rainfall occurs with monthly extremes of up to 650 millimetres In September rainfall declines and by October conditions are hot but extremely dry, with minimal rainfall and temperatures of around 29 °C. Kashmir Across from the Pir Panjal range, the South Asian monsoon is no longer a factor and most precipitation falls in the spring from southwest cloudbands. Because of its closeness to the Arabian Sea, Srinagar receives as much as 635 millimetres of rain from this source, with the wettest months being March to May with around 85 millimetres per month. Ladakh Across from the main Himalaya Range, even the southwest cloudbands break up and the climate of Ladakh and Zanskar is extremely dry and cold. Annual precipitation is only around 100 mm per year and humidity is very low. This region is almost all above 3,000 metres above sea level and winters are extremely cold. In summer in Ladakh and Zanskar, days are typically a warm 20°C but with the low humidity and thin air nights can still be cold. In winter the average January temperature is -20 °C with extremes as low as -40 °C. All the rivers freeze over and locals actually do river crossings during this period because their high levels from glacier melts in summer inhibits crossing. When to Go Jammu - October to February Kashmir - May to October and November to February Ladakh - Mid June to September |