On 5 September 2026 we posted two reels that answer the question in almost every enquiry we get for Kashmir in November: "Kashmir mein snowfall kab hogi?" In the first, Etios sits at a desk and phones a weather expert to ask when the snow will come this year, instead of guessing. That evening came the second: a windscreen view of a night road, snow falling hard in the headlights and a white bank beside the car, with the words "Kaobal Gali in Kashmir gets Season's First Snowfall". Here is our honest answer for November. It is a cold, mostly dry and clear month. Snow arrives in short spells, mainly up high in Gulmarg, Sonamarg and on the passes. Srinagar city rarely sees any, and nobody can promise you a date.
Watch them on our Instagram: Etios calling a weather expert about snowfall in 2026, 5 Sep 2026 and the first snowfall at Kaobal Gali, filmed through the windscreen, 5 Sep 2026.
Kaobal Gali is the high pass, about 4,167 m, at the top of the Tulail valley in Gurez, Bandipora district. Local papers reported fresh snow there and in the Gumri and Zojila area on that same Saturday. The first white of the season had arrived on the high passes in early September, and it showed up again a month later. On the night of 6 October snow fell on Afarwat, the ridge above Gulmarg, while the meadow below stayed green. That gap between the peaks and the places you actually stay is the whole story of November.
Kashmir in November at a glance
| What | What to expect |
|---|---|
| Srinagar days | Average high about 16°C (IMD normals, 1991 to 2020). Sunny and pleasant by noon. |
| Srinagar nights | Average low about 1°C. Frosty mornings are normal by the last week. |
| Rain or snow days | Only about 4 days with any precipitation in Srinagar in an average November. It is one of the driest months. |
| Sunshine | About 6 hours of sun a day on average. The days are short, so start early. |
| Snow chances | Good on Gulmarg's upper slopes, Sonamarg and the passes during a weather spell. Gulmarg meadow sometimes. Srinagar city: rare. |
| Chinars | The last of the colour in early November, then the leaves come down. |
| Roads to watch | Gurez (Razdan Pass), Mughal Road, Zojila beyond Sonamarg. Each can shut for a day or longer when it snows. |
| Price | Depends on dates, hotels and car. Call or WhatsApp us on 7006085655 for a quote. |
Is there snow in Kashmir in November?
Usually yes, somewhere, but not every week and not everywhere. Snow comes with western disturbances: a day or two of cloud, rain in Srinagar and snow up high, then often ten days or more of dry, clear weather. These are the last few Novembers, from news reports at the time:
- 2019: a heavy, unusually early snowfall on 7 November closed the Jammu-Srinagar highway, cancelled flights and broke apple trees that still had their leaves on. The photo below is from Tral the next day.
- 2023: fresh snow in Gulmarg and Sonamarg on 9 and 10 November closed the Mughal Road, Razdan Pass, Sinthan Top and Zojila. The MeT then forecast dry weather until 17 November, and the next proper spell only came on 30 November, after about three dry weeks.
- 2024: the season's first snow reached upper Gulmarg and Sonamarg on 11 and 12 November. Gulmarg town got its first snow on 16 November, close to three inches by evening, with about four inches at Sonamarg.
- 2025: a spell on 4 and 5 November left 7.6 cm in Gulmarg and 2.1 cm in Pahalgam (IMD). The Gurez road was shut after snow on Razdan Pass, and the Mughal Road and Srinagar-Leh highway closed too. Then the forecast was dry until 16 November.
So if snow is the main reason for your trip, the end of November gives you better odds than the start, and December and January better still. Our guide to when and where to see snow in Kashmir goes month by month. Snow in Srinagar city itself is a Chillai Kalan thing: in 2024 the first snow on the plains came on 27 December.
What 2026 has done so far
The first snow of the season fell on 5 September at Kaobal Gali and around Gumri and Zojila, the same day as our reels. Afarwat above Gulmarg got fresh snow on the night of 6 October, and as we write on 10 October the MeT is forecasting more light snow over the higher reaches today and again around 13 and 14 October. None of that tells you what November will do. When it snows, we post it on our Instagram. DM us "SNOW" there, as our snow reels say, and we'll send you the latest.
Kashmir in November, first week vs the end of the month
- First week: milder days, the last chinar colour in the Mughal gardens and along the Jhelum, and often the tail end of the saffron bloom at Pampore. Snow, if any, is mostly on the peaks.
- End of November: colder mornings, bare chinars, quieter hotels, and a better chance that a weather spell leaves snow in Gulmarg itself. Pack for real cold.
What's open in Kashmir in November
Srinagar
Everything you came for still works: shikara rides on Dal, the Mughal gardens (no summer flowers, but the chinars), the old city, Hazratbal. If you want to see the chinars before they drop, read our chinar autumn guide and come in the first days of the month.
Pampore saffron
The purple bloom on the Pampore karewas usually starts in late October and runs into November. It moves with the cold and the rain every year, so we check with the fields the week you travel before we plan an early-morning stop on the Srinagar-Pahalgam road.
Gulmarg
Gulmarg is open and the Gondola runs in November when the wind allows. Phase 2 takes you up to Afarwat, where the snow usually is. We don't quote Gondola fares here. Book only on the official J&K Cable Car e-ticket site and keep a spare morning in case it pauses.
Sonamarg
The Z-Morh tunnel, opened in January 2025, was built to keep Sonamarg reachable through winter. Beyond Sonamarg, Zojila towards Kargil and Leh closes with heavy snow, so treat it as a bonus, never a plan.
Pahalgam
Quiet, cold and good for walks along the Lidder. Baisaran is closed until the end of 2026, so we don't put it in any plan.
Gurez and the Mughal Road
If Gurez is on your list, go in October. The Bandipora-Gurez road crosses Razdan Pass and shuts with heavy snow, as it did on 5 November 2025. Our Gurez camping page has the summer side of the valley. The Mughal Road also closes during snow spells. For any high road, check the J&K Traffic Police advisory on the morning you travel.
Weather, clothes and hotel heating
November in Kashmir feels like two seasons in one day. Noon in Srinagar can be T-shirt-and-jacket weather, then the sun drops behind the mountains and it turns sharp. Gulmarg and Sonamarg are colder again. What we tell our guests to pack:
- Thermals, a fleece and a proper warm jacket. Gloves and a cap for Gulmarg and Sonamarg.
- Shoes with grip that won't soak through. Trainers are fine in Srinagar, not on Afarwat.
- Moisturiser and lip balm. The air is dry and the sun is strong.
- Buy a pheran in Srinagar if you like. Locals switch to them about now, and some still carry a kangri.
Before you pay for any room, ask how it's heated (central heating, a bukhari or a portable heater), how many hours of hot water you get, and whether there's power backup. Houseboats differ a lot on this; our houseboat guide lists the questions we ask. Every hotel and houseboat we book gets these questions before we confirm.
How we'd plan a November trip
- Five or six days covers Srinagar, Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Pahalgam without rushing.
- Srinagar first, then Gulmarg in the middle of the trip, never on the last day. A weather spell then only costs you a morning, not the whole visit.
- Keep one flexible day. The clear morning after a wet day in Srinagar is when Afarwat and Sonamarg look their best.
- Start early. With about six hours of good sun, an 8 AM start beats a 10 AM one.
- Book December plans early if a November trip is your back-up for snow. Here's why we tell people to book winter early.
FAQ
Is November a good time to visit Kashmir?
Yes, if you like clear skies, quiet places and cold nights. It's one of the driest months. Come for the late autumn colour and a chance of snow up high, not for guaranteed snow everywhere.
Does it snow in Srinagar in November?
Rarely. Srinagar mostly gets rain when the mountains get snow. The early, heavy snow of 7 November 2019 is the exception people remember. City snow usually waits for late December or January.
November or December for snow in Kashmir?
December, if snow is the point. November suits people who want autumn and maybe snow. For the full winter picture, see our Kashmir in winter page, and compare with our October weather guide.
Plan your November trip with us
Tell us your dates, how many of you are travelling and whether snow is a must. We'll tell you honestly what the month is likely to give you, and keep a flexible day in the plan for the weather. There's no fixed price for this: call or WhatsApp 70060 85655 (or call 7006085655) for a quote. Our second line is 9596044418. Email: enquiry@traveletioskashmir.com. We're Travel Etios Kashmir, a Srinagar agency registered with J&K Tourism (JKEA00005366).
Photo credits: "Mountains with snow in Gulmarg 20151123" by Gauranshnm18, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (23 Nov 2015). "Heavy Sonwfall in Kashmir splited Apple trees, November 2019" by Tamir Nazir, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (Tral, 8 Nov 2019). "A view of fallen chinar leaves (Kashmir)" by ThePoeticFrame, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (25 Nov 2021). "Bunch of blooming saffron flowers" by Yasir Yousuf Ahanger, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons (Pampore, 30 Oct 2021). "A kashmiri young man dressed in a traditional pheran, holding a kangri" by Aadil.Farooq, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons. All images resized and cropped by TravelEtiosKashmir. Instagram cover thumbnails were used for reference only; no Instagram screenshots.
