Himalayas - Climate - Britannica

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Climate of the Himalayas

in Himalayas in Physical features Ask Anything Also known as: Himalaya Written by Barry C. Bishop Chairman, Committee for Research and Exploration, National Geographic Society, Washington, D.C., 1989–91. Member of the American Everest Expedition, 1963. Author of Karnali Under Stress. Barry C. BishopAll Fact-checked by Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree.... Britannica Editors Last updated Dec. 21, 2025 •History Britannica AI Ask Anything Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything

The Himalayas, as a great climatic divide affecting large systems of air and water circulation, help determine meteorological conditions in the Indian subcontinent to the south and in the Central Asian highlands to the north. By virtue of its location and stupendous height, the Great Himalaya Range obstructs the passage of cold continental air from the north into India in winter and also forces the southwesterly monsoon (rain-bearing) winds to give up most of their moisture before crossing the range northward. The result is heavy precipitation (both rain and snow) on the Indian side but arid conditions in Tibet. The average annual rainfall on the south slopes varies between 60 inches (1,530 mm) at Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, and Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, in the western Himalayas and 120 inches (3,050 mm) at Darjeeling, West Bengal state, in the eastern Himalayas. North of the Great Himalayas, at places such as Skardu, Gilgit, and Leh in the Ladakh portion of the Indus valley, only 3 to 6 inches (75 to 150 mm) of precipitation occur.

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China is building the world’s most powerful hydropower system deep in the Himalayas. It remains shrouded in secrecy • Dec. 17, 2025, 2:50 AM ET (CNN) ...(Show more) Chinese tank, upgraded for high altitudes, could be sent to border with India • Dec. 15, 2025, 2:35 AM ET (South China Morning Post) Murli Manohar Joshi criticises Uttarakhand government over Bhagirathi eco-zone road widening • Dec. 7, 2025, 11:58 PM ET (The Hindu) Show less

Local relief and location determine climatic variation not only in different parts of the Himalayas but even on different slopes of the same range. Because of its favorable location on top of the Mussoorie Range facing the Dehra Dun, the town of Mussoorie, for example, at an elevation of about 6,100 feet (1,900 meters), receives 92 inches (2,335 mm) of precipitation annually, compared with 62 inches (1,575 mm) in the town of Shimla, which lies some 90 miles (145 km) to the northwest behind a series of ridges reaching 6,600 feet (2,000 meters). The eastern Himalayas, which are at a lower latitude than the western Himalayas, are relatively warmer. The average minimum temperature for the month of May, recorded in Darjeeling at an elevation of 6,380 feet (1,945 meters), is 52 °F (11 °C). In the same month, at an elevation of 16,500 feet (5,000 meters) in the neighborhood of Mount Everest, the minimum temperature is about 17 °F (−8 °C); at 19,500 feet (6,000 meters) it falls to −8 °F (−22 °C), the lowest minimum having been −21 °F (−29 °C); during the day, in areas sheltered from strong winds that often blow at more than 100 miles (160 km) per hour, the sun is often pleasantly warm, even at high elevations.

There are two periods of precipitation: the moderate amounts brought by winter storms and the heavier precipitation of summer, with its southwesterly monsoon winds. During winter, low-pressure weather systems advance into the Himalayas from the west and cause heavy snowfall. Within the regions where western disturbances are felt, condensation occurs in upper air levels, and, as a result, precipitation is much greater over the high mountains. During that season snow accumulates around the Himalayan high peaks, and precipitation is greater in the west than the east. In January, for example, Mussoorie in the west receives almost 3 inches (75 mm), whereas Darjeeling to the east receives less than 1 inch (25 mm). By the end of May the meteorological conditions have reversed. Southwesterly monsoon currents channel moist air toward the eastern Himalayas, where the moisture rising over the steep terrain cools and condenses to fall as rain or snow; in June, therefore, Darjeeling receives about 24 inches (600 mm) and Mussoorie less than 8 inches (200 mm). The rain and snow cease in September, after which the finest weather in the Himalayas prevails until the beginning of winter in December.