Srinagar Weather And Best Time To Visit Srinagar

Srinagar lies in the Kashmir Valley, giving it one advantage over other locations in the state - a great weather all year round. It wouldn’t be a lie to say that Srinagar is a different colour in every season. During winters, the valley is covered in snow; come spring and the different blooms render the valley a beautiful pinkish Hue.

Summer (Mid-May to August) becomes the best time to visit Srinagar as the temperatures become warmer and the city emerges in all its glory, painted by tourists, local residents and their colourful culture. As autumn approaches, these colours start changing into a bright orange hue that is unique to Kashmir.

The almond blossoms come as the first sign of spring in the Kashmir valley. Their pinkish white blooms are a welcome sight after a long winter and its arrival is celebrated as a festivity especially in gardens like the Badam Wari. Aside from the almond blossoms, another popular sight during this time of the year is the tulip garden that is in full bloom. Spring is perfect in that, the snow hasn’t melted entirely in most parts of Kashmir and yet the temperatures are moderate and pleasant. A short ride away from Srinagar and you can enjoy the snow that you couldn’t catch during the winter. The day time temperature is about 15 degrees centigrade and the night time temperature is around 5 degree centigrade.

Needless to say, this is the busiest time of the year all around Kashmir. The highway to Srinagar is cleared and opens up to a great deal of road traffic. It is the favourite time of the year for bikers who have been waiting to ride up some of the most adventurous routes in the country. It is the best time for adventure sports like trekking, horse riding, trout fishing, paragliding, boating on the Dal Lake and so on. It is also the best time in the year to explore the city and its many monuments, mosques and temples. The temperature during the season increases until July, making it the hottest month, after which it gradually decreases. The day time temperature is around 25 degrees while the nights experience temperatures around 10 degrees centigrade.

If the pale colour of the almond blossoms announces spring, then it’s the fiery orange of the chinars that announce autumn in the Kashmir Valley. Chinar Bagh is home to many chinar trees; these trees are unique to Kashmir and the golden of the leaves during autumn is a sight worth experiencing. Autumn is also the season when the much awaited apple trees bear fruit. This season also has the advantage of being much drier than spring, for not being as crowded as summer and also for being easy to travel around, which can be tough during winters. The day time temperatures can be approximately 15 degrees and the night time temperatures can be around 5 degrees Celsius.

Kashmir generally acquires a serene tone when winter arrives and one of the best places to experience this is in Srinagar. There is heavy snowfall by the end of December all over Jammu And Kashmir so the roads are often blocked by this time and the only way to get to Srinagar would be via air. This, however, does not discourage the adventure thirsty as the winter games season opens with the snow. About 2 hours away from Srinagar, one of the most popular skiing destinations opens up in Gulmarg. By the end of December, the mountains surrounding the Dal Lake are covered in snow, making the shikara ride around the chilly lake a dream-like experience. Some people also rent house boats just to experience this magic. The temperature can vary from an average of 5 degrees centigrade in the day to -10 or less in the night depending on the month.