Best Time to Visit Himachal Pradesh

Himachal Pradesh climate varies from hot and sub-humid in the lower regions near the plains, where the elevation is only 450 to 600 meters, to the bitter cold of the alpine and glacial region in the northern part where the elevation is from 4800 meters upwards. In the Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur regions of the state, bordering on Tibet, the climate reflects the arid nature of the region and the extreme cold conditions of the area. The state experiences the cold season from October to middle of March, hot season from April to June and when the rains come in early July the rainy season begins and goes on up to September. In the higher reaches, however the situation is different as snowfall occurs in December and January and sometimes even earlier and later. Shimla, the state capital, is in the higher reaches and has snowfall in this period. In the regions at 3000 meters and above the snowfall goes on until March and could be as high as three meters on the average. The Gaddis and other nomads descend from the snow-bound areas with their herds to the lower regions in the winter. In these parts there is no hot season and Shimla has a great reputation for being cool in the summer months. It was for that reason that the British built it up as a hill station and it has acquired the status of one of India's premier hill resorts to which people flock in big numbers during the months when the plains below are burning hot and even later when cool winds begin to blow even in the plains.