Historical and climatological averages tell us that the middle of April is the unofficial start of the summer season here along the Dhauladhars of Himachal Pradesh. This year's spring season was very slow to start (as was last year's), but our fortunes have changed very dramatically as of about the 19th of March. We've seen some very welcome improvements since then, but honestly, there can still be scrapes with lingering traces of central Asian winter air combined with moisture from the Arbian Sea all the way into the first week to ten days of April. That means we can't rule out another couple of rounds of uncomfortably chilly and extended wet weather just yet.
Usually by mid-April we break into a pattern which is more dominated by warmer and more stable air building in from the south -- and that sets us up for our summer season. April is actually the second-driest month of the year in Dharamsala (on average), with that relatively drier season lasting through May, and sometimes into the middle of June. There can be raucous periods of thunderstorms during that period, but normally they are short-lived, with a return to sunshine not far away. The warmest temperatures of the entire year are concentrated during that time frame -- especially between mid-May and mid-June.
By the last ten days of June, we are normally starting to flirt with the advancing Monsoon which signals the end of "summer" in Himalayan north India. Humidity sky-rockets, rain becomes more frequent and widespread, and temperatures start to cool off.
APRIL
15th - high: 75F (24C), low: 58F (14C)
30th - high: 78F (26C), low: 62F (17C)
Precipitation: 1.9" (4.8cm)
MAY
15th - high: 82F (28C), low: 66F (19C)
31st - high: 87F (31C), low: 70F (21C)
Precipitation: 2.3" (5.9cm)
JUNE
15th - high: 85F (29C), low: 70F (21C)
30th - high: 82F (28C), low: 69F (21C)
Precipitation: 8.0" (20.3cm)
Usually by mid-April we break into a pattern which is more dominated by warmer and more stable air building in from the south -- and that sets us up for our summer season. April is actually the second-driest month of the year in Dharamsala (on average), with that relatively drier season lasting through May, and sometimes into the middle of June. There can be raucous periods of thunderstorms during that period, but normally they are short-lived, with a return to sunshine not far away. The warmest temperatures of the entire year are concentrated during that time frame -- especially between mid-May and mid-June.
By the last ten days of June, we are normally starting to flirt with the advancing Monsoon which signals the end of "summer" in Himalayan north India. Humidity sky-rockets, rain becomes more frequent and widespread, and temperatures start to cool off.
APRIL
15th - high: 75F (24C), low: 58F (14C)
30th - high: 78F (26C), low: 62F (17C)
Precipitation: 1.9" (4.8cm)
MAY
15th - high: 82F (28C), low: 66F (19C)
31st - high: 87F (31C), low: 70F (21C)
Precipitation: 2.3" (5.9cm)
JUNE
15th - high: 85F (29C), low: 70F (21C)
30th - high: 82F (28C), low: 69F (21C)
Precipitation: 8.0" (20.3cm)
