Climate in Manali (Himachal Pradesh)

In Manali there is a humid temperate climate (according to the Köppen classification, subtropical highland climate, Cfb), with relatively cold winters and quite warm summers. Precipitation is quite abundant, with a maximum in summer and a minimum in autumn.
The small city is located in northern India, at 32 degrees north latitude and 2,050 meters (6,700 feet) above sea level, in the state of Himachal Pradesh. We are in the Kullu Valley, a valley formed by the Beas river, oriented from north to south and surrounded by the first peaks of the Himalayas, which exceed 5,000 meters (16,500 ft) and are covered by perennial snow.
A little further north is Solang Valley, located at a slightly higher altitude, from 2,500 to 3,000 metres (8,200 to 9,800 ft), where you can go trekking, paragliding and skiing.
The Leh–Manali Highway starts from here, which allows you to reach the Indian part of the Tibetan plateau, i.e. the district of Lahaul and Spiti, in the north of Himachal Pradesh, and even further north, Ladakh and its capital, Leh. When conditions permit, you can pass through the Rohtang Pass, at almost 4,000 meters (13,000 ft) above sea level, otherwise you can access the Atal tunnel, the highest in the world, 9 km (6 mi) long and located at an altitude of 3,000 meters (9,800 ft).
The road is open for five months, from June to October (the road is opened in April, but in April and May there may be partial and temporary closures due to spring snowfalls. The authorities issue periodic bulletins to account for the situation).



Here are the average temperatures.

Here is the average precipitation.

Winter, from December to February, is quite cold. At night, temperatures often drop below freezing. Unlike what happens in much of India, here the winter is quite rainy. Sometimes it can even snow, generally from December to early March.
On colder nights, the temperature typically drops to -5 °C (23 °F), and can occasionally to lower values. In January 1988 it dropped to -11.6 °C (11 °F), and in February 2009 to -11 °C (12 °F).

Spring, from March to May, is gradually milder, but it is also rainy, especially in the first part. In particular, in March there is a first rainfall peak, followed by the summer peak.
On good weather days, from mid-April to late May, it can get hot, especially in May, when the temperature can exceed 30 °C (86 °F).

The summer, from June to September, is warm, with daily averages around 20 °C (68 °F). However, it is also a rainy season, due to the Indian monsoon, with humid, rainy days, during which the feeling of coolness increases. Furthermore, sometimes during the night it can get a little cold, with lows below 10 °C (68 °F).
When the weather is good, on the other hand, it can get hot, with highs of up to 32/33 °C (90/91 °F), especially in June, before the monsoon arrives.
The monsoon in this area runs from late June to late September, even though it is not always regular, neither in dates nor in intensity. Sometimes the rains can be particularly intense, to the point of causing landslides and floods.

Autumn, in October and November, is the driest and sunniest season, with initially mild weather, then gradually cooler.

Best Time

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The best time to visit Manali is autumn, in October and November, as it is the driest of the year. It can get cold at night, especially in November, but not as cold as in winter.
Otherwise you can choose spring and early summer, before the monsoon, from April to mid-June. However, this period is rainier than autumn, and it can also be hot at times.

If you want to proceed to the north and visit Ladakh, you must remember that from November to March the road is closed due to snow. You can choose the month of October, especially in the first half, when the weather is generally good even at high altitudes. Or you can choose the month of June, more or less until the 20th, that is, after the end of the possible spring snowfalls which can involve the highest passes (in April and May) and before the monsoon (which generally arrives at the end of June).
However, the monsoon rains can disturb the journey towards Ladakh only in the first stretch, up to the Rohtang Pass and the Atal tunnel, because after that, you enter a "rain shadow" area, where it rarely rains. Therefore, in periods of good weather, or when the rains are not excessive, you can also go in summer.