Nepal weather by month and the month I’d actually trek
Nepal weather by month from DHM averages for Kathmandu, Pokhara and Jomsom. November is driest, and the 2026 monsoon began withdrawing on 3 October.
On this page (10)
- Nepal weather right now, October 2026
- Nepal weather by month for Kathmandu, Pokhara and Jomsom
- Is October or November better for trekking in Nepal?
- How cold it gets as you climb
- Where it stays dry in the monsoon
- How the seasons play out region by region
- Reading a Nepal weather forecast
- The verdict
- Frequently asked questions
- Keep reading
Nepal’s weather follows one pattern: about 78% of Kathmandu’s rain falls between June and September, and November is the driest month of the year, with 7.5 mm on average. That is why October and November are the best trekking months. And it is happening right now: on 3 October 2026 the Meteorological Forecasting Division reported the monsoon withdrawing from most of Sudurpashchim and Karnali, much of western Lumbini and a few areas of western Gandaki, and expected it to leave the rest of Nepal within a few days.
Below is the whole year, month by month, using the official averages that Nepal’s Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) publishes through the World Meteorological Organization. You get figures for three places: Kathmandu, where you land; Pokhara, the gateway to the Annapurnas; and Jomsom at about 2,740 m, the highest station in that official set. Each month comes with the verdict I give people who ask me when to come.
- Best months: mid-October to the end of November, then March and April.
- Driest month: November. Kathmandu averages 7.5 mm and Jomsom 4.6 mm.
- Wettest month: July. Pokhara averages 940 mm, against 47 mm at Jomsom on the far side of the mountains.
- This year: the monsoon started leaving western Nepal on 3 October 2026, a day after DHM’s normal date of 2 October. In each of the past four years it withdrew later, between 10 and 16 October.
- Watch the festivals: government offices close 17–24 October for Dashain and 7–12 November for Tihar.
Nepal weather right now, October 2026
The monsoon is leaving, from west to east, which is how it always goes. The Forecasting Division’s bulletin of 3 October 2026 put the withdrawal across most of Sudurpashchim and Karnali, much of western Lumbini and a few areas of western Gandaki, and said the remaining parts of the country would follow “within the next few days”. The east, where the Everest region sits, is usually the last to clear.
That is close to normal this year. DHM’s average withdrawal date is 2 October, and the last four monsoons withdrew on 16, 15, 12 and 10 October, so 2026 is running earlier than recent years. Even so, pack a shell for any trek that starts in the first half of October: withdrawal does not mean every afternoon is dry. Our monsoon-end tracker has the year-by-year dates and will carry the full withdrawal when DHM announces it.
Dashain tika falls on Wednesday 21 October 2026, and government offices close from 17 to 24 October. Tihar closes them again from 7 to 12 November. Neither stops a trek, but both fill flights and buses. The dates and what shuts are in our Dashain 2026 dates guide.
Nepal weather by month for Kathmandu, Pokhara and Jomsom
These are long-term monthly averages: daily low and high in °C, and rainfall in millimetres. The trekking verdict is mine. It covers the standard routes in the Annapurna, Everest and Langtang regions, and says when the rain-shadow valleys beat them.
| Month | Kathmandu (1,340 m) | Pokhara (830 m) | Jomsom (2,740 m) | Trekking verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 2–18°C · 14 mm | 7–20°C · 23 mm | −2–10°C · 14 mm | Clear and cold. Low and mid treks only; snow is likely on passes above about 4,500 m. |
| February | 4–20°C · 17 mm | 9–22°C · 35 mm | −1–12°C · 21 mm | Still winter up high, warming below 3,000 m. Good for Poon Hill, quiet trails. |
| March | 8–24°C · 31 mm | 13–27°C · 60 mm | 2–15°C · 30 mm | Spring opens. Good, but nights above 4,000 m are still hard. |
| April | 11–27°C · 54 mm | 16–30°C · 128 mm | 4–19°C · 21 mm | Best spring month. Rhododendrons, Everest expedition season. Afternoon cloud builds. |
| May | 16–28°C · 114 mm | 18–30°C · 359 mm | 8–21°C · 19 mm | Warm and hazy, with pre-monsoon storms. Go high and start early. |
| June | 19–28°C · 256 mm | 21–31°C · 669 mm | 12–23°C · 32 mm | Monsoon arrives. Rain-shadow treks only: Upper Mustang, Nar Phu, Dolpo. |
| July | 20–28°C · 360 mm | 22–30°C · 940 mm | 14–23°C · 47 mm | Wettest month. Leeches, landslides, Lukla cancellations. Rain shadow only. |
| August | 20–28°C · 314 mm | 22–30°C · 866 mm | 14–23°C · 44 mm | Still full monsoon. Rain shadow only. |
| September | 18–27°C · 183 mm | 21–29°C · 641 mm | 12–21°C · 36 mm | Wet first half, drying late. Fine from the last week if you accept some rain. |
| October | 13–26°C · 59 mm | 17–28°C · 140 mm | 6–18°C · 18 mm | Excellent once the monsoon has gone. Busiest month; Dashain fills transport around 17–24 Oct. |
| November | 7–23°C · 7.5 mm | 12–24°C · 18 mm | 2–15°C · 4.6 mm | My pick. Driest month, sharpest views, colder nights. Tihar closes offices 7–12 Nov. |
| December | 3–19°C · 14 mm | 8–21°C · 22 mm | −1–12°C · 5.3 mm | Clear and cold, empty trails. Mid-altitude treks; high passes can close after snow. |
Two things stand out in the numbers. First, Kathmandu’s rain is concentrated: about 1,113 mm of its 1,425 mm year falls in the four monsoon months. Second, Pokhara is far wetter than Kathmandu, with roughly 3,900 mm a year, because it sits right under the Annapurna wall where the monsoon cloud piles up.
Is October or November better for trekking in Nepal?
November, if you can handle colder nights. It is the driest month in all three places: Kathmandu averages 7.5 mm and Jomsom 4.6 mm, against 59 mm and 18 mm in October. The leftover monsoon moisture that softens early-October views is gone, the trails are less crowded than at the October peak, and you miss the Dashain travel rush.
The cost is temperature. Kathmandu’s average low drops from 13°C in October to 7°C in November, and Jomsom’s from 6°C to 2°C. Higher up the drop is the same, starting from colder, so a November night in a lodge at 4,000 m needs a sleeping bag rated well below freezing. I would still take November every time. If your dates are fixed in October, aim for the second half, after the monsoon has fully cleared and after tika on 21 October. More on that choice in whether November is too late to trek.
How cold it gets as you climb
Temperature falls by roughly 6.5°C for every 1,000 m you climb, so Kathmandu’s forecast says little about your highest night. The rule works well for daytime highs. Starting from Kathmandu’s November high of 22.7°C at about 1,340 m, it predicts 13.6°C at Jomsom. DHM’s measured average there is 14.8°C, so the estimate is within about a degree. Night lows are less predictable, because cold air drains into valleys, so treat the table below as daytime guidance.
| Place | Altitude | Estimated November daytime high | What to wear by day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pokhara | 830 m | 24°C (DHM average) | T-shirt |
| Kathmandu | 1,340 m | 23°C (DHM average) | T-shirt, fleece after dark |
| Jomsom | 2,740 m | 15°C (DHM average) | Fleece and windproof; the valley wind is strong |
| Namche Bazaar | 3,440 m | about 9°C | Fleece and shell |
| Annapurna Base Camp | 4,130 m | about 5°C | Down jacket in shade or wind |
| Lobuche | 4,940 m | about −1°C | Down jacket all day |
| Everest Base Camp | 5,364 m | about −3°C | Full winter kit, gloves on |
The estimates are our arithmetic from DHM’s Kathmandu figure, not measurements, and sun makes a huge difference: a still, sunny noon at 4,000 m feels like spring, and the same place at 5pm in wind feels like winter. Our cold-weather trekking guide covers staying warm in a lodge, which is mostly about what you do before dark.
Where it stays dry in the monsoon
North of the main Himalayan range, in the rain shadow. Jomsom gets about 293 mm of rain in an average year and 47 mm in July. Pokhara, about 65 km away as the crow flies but on the south side of the Annapurnas, gets about 3,900 mm a year and 940 mm in July. The mountains wring the monsoon out before it gets over them.
That is why Upper Mustang, Nar Phu and Dolpo are the treks we run in June, July and August. They are not rain-free, and the roads and flights that get you there still cross wet country, so allow a spare day. But on the trail itself you are walking in dry, open desert while the Annapurna Sanctuary is in cloud. Nepal in the monsoon covers that season properly.
Our 12-day Upper Mustang trek walks the rain shadow to Lo Manthang. US$2,700 solo, from US$2,050 each in a group of eight or more, with restricted-area permits and a licensed guide included.
See dates & price →How the seasons play out region by region
The monsoon hits the south-facing regions hardest and the trans-Himalaya least. Here is how that plays out on the routes people actually book.
- Annapurna (south side): the full monsoon, as Pokhara’s 940 mm July shows. Best October–November, then March–April. Home of the 9-day Annapurna Base Camp trek and the 14-day Circuit, which crosses into the rain shadow at Manang.
- Everest / Khumbu: wet June to September, and usually the last region to clear in autumn because the monsoon withdraws west to east. Best mid-October to November, then April. Detail in our EBC seasons guide.
- Mustang, Nar Phu, Dolpo: the rain shadow. Trekkable through the monsoon; cold and partly shut in deep winter.
- Chitwan and the Terai: the opposite logic. Hot and wet from June to September, best October to March. Lowland Nepal is still in dengue season in October and November, so pack a daytime repellent.
Reading a Nepal weather forecast
Use a forecast that lets you set the altitude, and trust your guide’s eyes on the day. Town forecasts for Kathmandu or Pokhara are fine for arrival days and useless for a pass crossing.
- DHM’s own forecasts (dhm.gov.np) carry the official monsoon bulletins, including the withdrawal announcements quoted on this page.
- Altitude forecasts such as mountain-forecast.com and meteoblue give temperature and wind at a chosen height, which matters on pass days.
- Windy shows wind at altitude, which is what decides whether a high pass is safe.
- Your guide reads cloud build-up and the morning sky better than any app. Afternoon cloud is normal; plan to reach passes before midday.
The verdict
Come in November if you want the best odds of clear, dry days, and pack properly for cold nights. Come in the second half of October if you want it slightly warmer and do not mind busier trails and the Dashain rush. March and April are the spring alternative. In June, July and August, go to Upper Mustang or Nar Phu, not the Annapurna Sanctuary. And for anything this month, check the withdrawal bulletin before you fly: in 2026 the monsoon started leaving on 3 October, earlier than in any of the last four years.
Our Annapurna Base Camp trek takes nine days, tops out at 4,130 m and works best in late October and November. US$920 solo, from US$680 each in a group of eight or more, with permits, lodges and a licensed guide included.
See the itinerary & price →Frequently asked questions
What is the weather like in Nepal in November?
Dry, clear and cool. November is the driest month of the year: Kathmandu averages 7.5 mm of rain and a daily range of 7 to 23°C, Pokhara 12 to 24°C, and Jomsom at about 2,740 m 2 to 15°C. Nights in mountain lodges above 4,000 m are well below freezing.
Has the monsoon ended in Nepal in 2026?
It is ending. On 3 October 2026 the Meteorological Forecasting Division reported the monsoon withdrawing from most of Sudurpashchim and Karnali, much of western Lumbini and a few areas of western Gandaki, and expected it to leave the rest of Nepal within a few days. The normal date is 2 October; the last four years ran to between 10 and 16 October.
Does it rain in Nepal in October?
A little, mostly early in the month. Kathmandu averages 59 mm in October against 183 mm in September and 7.5 mm in November. Once the monsoon withdraws, most October days are dry with clear mornings and some afternoon cloud.
Is Pokhara warmer and wetter than Kathmandu?
Yes to both. Pokhara is about 500 m lower, so it runs a few degrees warmer, and it gets roughly 3,900 mm of rain a year against about 1,425 mm in Kathmandu, because it sits directly under the Annapurna range.
Does it snow in Nepal in November?
Not in Kathmandu or Pokhara. Up high, snow is possible in any month, and passes such as Thorong La or Cho La can close for a day or two after a storm. Build a spare day into any itinerary that crosses a pass above 5,000 m.
Where can I trek in Nepal during the monsoon?
In the rain shadow north of the main range: Upper Mustang, Nar Phu and Dolpo. Jomsom, on the edge of that zone, averages 47 mm of rain in July, while Pokhara, south of the mountains, averages 940 mm.
Keep reading
The official holiday days and what they mean for flights and permits.
Year-by-year withdrawal dates and this year’s bulletins.
Route by route, for each window of the year.
What to bring for the season you pick.
Not sure which month fits your dates? Contact us and we will match the route to the weather.
Sources: Nepal Department of Hydrology and Meteorology climate normals as published on the WMO World Weather Information Service (worldweather.wmo.int; Kathmandu, no averaging period listed; Pokhara 1981–2010; Jomsom 1991–2020), read 4 October 2026. Meteorological Forecasting Division monsoon bulletin of 3 October 2026, as reported by Spotlight Nepal and Radio Nepal, read 4 October 2026. DHM normal withdrawal date and the 2022–2025 withdrawal dates from our monsoon tracker. Public holiday dates from the Nepal Gazette, Part 5, Vol. 75 No. 67 (18 Falgun 2082), Ministry of Home Affairs. Altitude estimates are our arithmetic using a 6.5°C per 1,000 m lapse rate. Photo via Pexels: thepoeticimagery (cover).
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Written by
Rajan GurungPokhara-based, NMA-certified trekking guides. We’ve led 5,000+ treks across the Annapurna and Everest regions since 1998 — every word here comes from the trail. More from this author →
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