Kargil Weather And Best Time To Visit Kargil

Located in the Indian state of Jammu & Kashmir, in the Ladakh region, is the district of Kargil. One of the most gruesome wars between India and Pakistan was fought here in the year 1999. As a high altitude region, winters experience extremely cold and bitter conditions. Monsoons are not very safe, while summers are pleasant and considered the best time to visit and enjoy the beauty of Kargil and surrounding areas. Let us study in detail what is the weather like in Kargil that makes for the best time to visit.

After the freezing winters summers are a welcome respite for the inhabitants of the area. It is considered the best time for visiting Kargil and adjacent areas. The days are pleasant and warm while the nights are cool. Temperatures dip as low as 13°C. The Highway 1 D connecting Leh with Srinagar, which remains closed during winter due to heavy snowfall, is opened during summer for travellers.

Monsoon sets in in the month of July and continues till September. It is not a recommended time to visit Kargil. Heavy showers and cloudbursts are accompanied by sudden landslides. This can be dangerous for travellers. They can get caught in these landslides; traffic can get hampered causing chaos and confusion. There is anyway not much to do in Kargil at this time so one must avoid the monsoon season.

This is the least recommended time to visit Kargil. It is freezing cold with sharp chilly winds biting into the skin. Temperatures start dipping steadily from November onwards and by December–January, the region records temperatures as low as -50°C. Dras near Kargil is the coldest inhabited place at a high altitude. Most of the major roads leading to Kargil are shut down because of heavy snow. Everything in the towns is also mostly closed and people are suspended in a trance like state with doing only the necessary chores.