Srinagar in Winter
Frosty mornings on the Dal, harissa for breakfast and snow on the Zabarwan hills: what December to February in Srinagar is really like.
Frosty mornings on the Dal, harissa for breakfast and snow on the Zabarwan hills: what December to February in Srinagar is really like.
Direct answer: Srinagar is open and lived-in all winter. From December to February nights are usually below freezing and days are cool, around 7 to 10°C on average. The hardest stretch is Chillai Kalan, 21 December to 30 January. Snow in the city itself comes in a few spells, mostly late December to February, and some winters it comes late: in 2025-26 Srinagar had its first snow only on 23 January. Dal Lake freezes at the edges in cold snaps, not usually all the way across. For sure snow, stay in Srinagar and take Gulmarg as a day trip. Keep one spare day, because heavy snow can shut the highway or cancel flights for a day.
Last checked 12 Nov 2026.
The IMD long-term averages for Srinagar city (1991-2020) give a mean minimum of about −1.6°C and a maximum of 9.9°C in December, −1.9°C and 7.1°C in January, and 0.7°C and 10.5°C in February, from the IMD Srinagar climate table. Single nights go much lower. Srinagar fell to −5.1°C on 8 January 2026, ETV Bharat reported, and to −6°C the next night, the coldest of that winter, while the afternoon still reached 10.8°C, Hindustan Times reported.
Chillai Kalan, the 40 hardest days, runs from 21 December to 30 January, and is followed by the milder Chillai Khurd and Chillai Bachha, PTI explained in The Hindu. Clear nights are the coldest; a sunny afternoon on the Boulevard can feel pleasant. More on the season: Chillai Kalan 2026 and the Kashmir weather guide.
Yes, but less often and later than in Gulmarg. Srinagar sits on the valley floor, so the first snow of the season usually reaches the city in late December or January, and it can melt off the roads within a day or two. Last winter was a late one: Srinagar saw its first snow of the season on 23 January 2026, The Indian Express reported, and the highway and several flights shut that day.
This week is a typical November pattern: the MeT Centre Srinagar expected rain in the plains and the first light-to-moderate snow at Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Doodhpathri between 12 and 14 November 2026, Greater Kashmir reported. If snow is the point of your trip, plan Gulmarg as the snow day and treat snow in Srinagar as a bonus. Month by month: Kashmir snowfall time, Kashmir in December and Kashmir in January.
In a hard cold snap the shallow edges and quiet pockets of the Dal freeze. On 9 January 2026 parts of the lake froze as Srinagar had its coldest night, Hindustan Times reported. A lake frozen all the way across is rare, so do not plan around walking on it.
Shikaras still go out on most winter days, best around midday when the channels are open and the light is soft; thick ice can stop them for a few days. A houseboat night is lovely in winter only if the boat is heated, and we confirm the heating before we book it. Details: Dal Lake in winter, Dal Lake guide and shikara booking.
Harissa for breakfast. The slow-cooked mutton and rice dish is a cold-months food, roughly mid-October to March, sold early in the morning in the old city and around Lal Chowk. Our list is in where to eat in Srinagar in winter.
Kangri and pheran. You will see both everywhere from December. What they are, and how to try a kangri safely: kangri and pheran guide.
The old city and the lake. A midday shikara, the Boulevard and a short old-city walk make a good winter day. The Mughal gardens are bare in winter, so we keep them short. Our Srinagar local sightseeing day is easy to fit around the weather.
Day trips for snow. Gulmarg is the snow day. A same-day return car from Srinagar is ₹2,500 in a Toyota Etios or Swift Dzire and ₹3,500 in an Innova Crysta (see Srinagar to Gulmarg taxi fare). Pahalgam and Sonamarg are also day trips when their roads are clear; see Pahalgam in winter and the winter road guide.
The thing that goes wrong in a Srinagar winter is not the city, it is getting in and out on the day of heavy snow. On 27 January 2026 all 58 flights to and from Srinagar were cancelled because snow made the runway unsafe, PTI reported in Business Standard, and flights restarted once the runway was cleared. What to do if it happens to you is on Srinagar airport in winter.
So we keep the last Srinagar day free before your flight home, and we do not put Gulmarg on the day you land. Pack for cold mornings and wet ghat steps: what to wear in Kashmir in winter.
Most winter guests base in Srinagar, in a heated hotel or houseboat, and take day trips by car: Gulmarg on the clearest snow day, Pahalgam or Sonamarg if the roads allow, and a slow Srinagar day at the end. Our Kashmir winter tour is built that way. We take a 20% advance and the balance after you arrive; what happens if snow changes the plan is on winter trip advance and refunds.
Travel Etios Kashmir is a JK Tourism registered agency at Pantha Chowk, Srinagar, rated 5.0★ on Google. WhatsApp us your dates and we will tell you how the week looks.
Sometimes, but not every year. Srinagar city usually gets its first snow in late December or January, and in 2025-26 it came only on 23 January. Gulmarg gets snow earlier and more reliably, so plan Gulmarg as the snow day.
The IMD average for January is a minimum of about −1.9°C and a maximum of 7.1°C. Single nights go lower: −5.1°C on 8 January 2026 and −6°C the night after. Afternoons can still be sunny.
Partly. In hard cold snaps the edges and quiet pockets freeze, as they did in January 2026. A full freeze is rare. Shikaras still run on most days, best around midday.
Yes, if you want quiet lakes, snow on the hills and winter food like harissa. Base in Srinagar in a heated stay, do Gulmarg for snow, and keep a spare day for weather.
Yes, on heavy snow days. On 27 January 2026 all 58 flights were cancelled until the runway was cleared. Keep the day before an onward flight free and avoid the last flight out.
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