Kashmir in January: Snow, Cold & What to Expect

How cold is Kashmir in January, place by place?

IMD's 1991–2020 normals are thirty-year averages, so any single night can sit several degrees either side. The table gives the mean daytime high, the mean night low, the average rainfall and the average number of rainy days for January. IMD's table does not report snow depth and does not say whether the millimetres include melted snow, so read rainfall as a guide to how wet a month is, not how deep the snow lies. January has the lowest mean low and mean high of all twelve months at all three stations (we checked this against Wikipedia's tables of the IMD data).

January is the coldest month but not the wettest. Set against its neighbours, it looks like this (mean low to mean high, and rainfall at Srinagar, Pahalgam and Gulmarg):

Rainfall and rainy days keep rising after January: Srinagar goes from 5.4 rainy days to 6.0 in February, Pahalgam from 8.1 to 9.3 and Gulmarg from 8.6 to 10.2. Averages also hide how far a single night can swing. These are the January readings we found reported, each with the date of the report:

For packing, those readings mean nights between roughly −2 °C and −12 °C at Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonmarg, and a Srinagar that swings between about −6 °C and above freezing. The coldest figures we found are Pahalgam's −11.7 °C (the night before the −11.1 °C reading of January 2021, per The Hitavada) and Sonmarg's −11.2 °C (late January 2026). Wikipedia's table of IMD extremes lists −14.4 °C as Srinagar's January record low without a date. The Hitavada (15 Jan 2021) says −14.4 °C was recorded in 1893 but calls it the lowest ever, which conflicts with the −20.0 °C recorded on 6 February 1895 in the same table, so we treat the year as unconfirmed. Both are historic extremes, not planning figures. Our Kashmir packing list has the four-season version.

January can also run warm and dry. IMD data reported by ETV Bharat for January 2024 give Srinagar a mean daily maximum of 11.9 °C (the 1991–2020 normal is 7.1 °C) and a mean minimum of −3.2 °C (normal −1.9 °C), and Gulmarg 5.7 °C and −3.9 °C against normals of 0.7 °C and −7.7 °C. The report quotes IMD calling it one of the driest and warmest Januaries in the last 43 years for most stations.

What is Chilla-i-Kalan, and when does it end in 2027?

Chilla-i-Kalan (also written Chillai Kalan) is the traditional 40-day spell of Kashmir's harshest winter. Kashmir Life describes the name as a Persian term meaning Major Cold. It is a traditional period, which is why IMD's calendar-month tables do not show it. Every source we read starts it on 21 December. If 21 December is day one, day 40 is 29 January, but the sources give different end dates:

For 2026–27 that puts it from 21 December 2026 to 29, 30 or 31 January 2027. Chillai Khurd, the 20-day small cold, follows it, then Chillai Bachha, the 10-day baby cold. Kashmir Life (20 Dec 2023) gives 31 January to 19 February for Chillai Khurd and 20 February to 2 March for Chillai Bachha, though it calls Bachha 10 days, so treat the end dates as approximate. The other reports we read give the lengths without dates. The end of Chilla-i-Kalan is not the end of winter: IMD's February mean low in Gulmarg is still −6.4 °C.

The name does not guarantee snow. ETV Bharat (24 Dec 2024) describes the period as one of below-freezing minimums and frequent snowfall, but the record is uneven. The National reported on 19 January 2024 that half of Chillai Kalan had passed with no rain or snow. Kashmir Life's headline on 22 January 2025 said it was set to end on a dry note. In 2025–26 Srinagar, Banihal and Qazigund had the heaviest snowfall of the season so far on 23 January (Skymet).

Will it snow in Kashmir in January?

Probably at some point in the season, but not on a date you can book. IMD's averages are more than twice December's (Gulmarg 161 mm against 74 mm, Pahalgam 136 mm against 60 mm, Srinagar 64 mm against 27 mm), so the odds improve in January. Recent winters have had less precipitation than normal: Meteorological Centre Srinagar data reported by ETV Bharat (3 Mar 2026) show winter precipitation across Jammu and Kashmir below normal every year from 2019–20 to 2025–26, from 8 per cent below in 2021–22 to 54 per cent below in 2023–24, and 65 per cent below in 2025–26. Here is how the last three Januaries looked:

Our reading: snow in January is likely over a winter, but its timing is luck. One of these Januaries had only about 15 cm of snow at Gulmarg by 19 January, one was 81 per cent below normal to 22 January, and one had its big fall on 23 January. We found no data that ranks one week of January above another, so we will not name a lucky week. If snow is the point of the trip, give it at least five days, put Gulmarg early so a shut road leaves a later day to swap into, and decide the extras last. Where to look first:

• Gulmarg is the wettest (161 mm, against Pahalgam 136 mm and Srinagar 64 mm) and the coldest (mean high 0.7 °C) of the three Kashmir stations in IMD's table, so it is the likeliest of the three to see snow, although IMD's table does not measure snow. Its hotels were fully booked on 28 January 2026, after the 23 January snow, according to the CEO of the Gulmarg Development Authority (Greater Kashmir). See our Gulmarg destination guide.
• Sonmarg has no IMD normal, so we cannot rank it against the other three. Reports put 4 to 8 inches of snow on the Sonmarg and Zojila axis on 1 January 2026 (ETV Bharat), and it recorded the coldest reading we found for January 2026, −11.2 °C. See our Sonmarg guide.
• Pahalgam averages 136 mm of rainfall in January, the second wettest of the three IMD stations. See our Pahalgam guide.
• Srinagar is the driest of the three (64 mm). Its night minimum on 1 January 2026 was 2.2 °C, above freezing, while Gulmarg was at −5.5 °C (ETV Bharat). Its heaviest snow of that winter so far came on 23 January. See our Srinagar guide.

A note on our own older pages. Our Gulmarg snowfall guide calls January the peak month and expects 2 to 4 metres of snow across it, and our Gulmarg skiing guide calls January the month of the deepest, driest powder. IMD publishes no snow depth, and we could not trace a measured source for those figures, so read them as a seasonal expectation, not a forecast. Our Kashmir winter guide and December guide cover the months either side.

Does Dal Lake freeze in January?

Parts of it do in the cold spells, and none of the reports we read shows the whole lake frozen into a solid sheet. They describe three different things: ice at the fringes, a thin layer across the surface, and in some years sections of the lake. None of them gives a thickness. What each reported:

In late December 2022 photo captions from Gulf News showed large sections of the lake freezing, a shikara caught mid-lake and small boats breaking through the ice. So ice can slow boats on a cold morning. It has not, in what we read, ended the season for them: ETV Bharat described large tourist footfalls and shikara rides at the Dal on 27 January 2026, days after the cold spell.

What we advise. Do not walk on the ice. None of the reports we read gives a thickness, so we cannot say it would bear any weight. Expect a dawn shikara transfer to wait for a later start on an icy morning. Ask your houseboat how you reach the shore in a freeze and whether its water pipes have frozen before; the Tribune reported frozen pipes in many areas on 2 January 2024.

Is January a good time to visit Kashmir?

It is a good time if you want cold, quiet days, the chance of snow in Gulmarg and Sonmarg, and winter food, and you can live with a plan that bends. It is a poor time for gardens in bloom, long daylight, or road trips to Gurez and Ladakh. The places to visit in January, in the order we would plan them:

If you want warmer days with snow still possible, February and March are wetter by IMD's averages (Gulmarg 208 mm and 216 mm against January's 161 mm) and warmer (Srinagar's mean high is 10.5 °C in February and 15.5 °C in March, against 7.1 °C in January). The same caution applies: precipitation across Jammu and Kashmir was 89 per cent below normal in February 2026 (ETV Bharat, 3 Mar 2026). Our month-by-month guide and Gulmarg best-time guide compare the options.

Who should choose another month?

January can suit healthy adults and teenagers with warm clothes and a flexible plan. These are the travellers we would steer elsewhere, or towards a gentler plan:

• People who need a fixed road date to Ladakh or Gurez. Zojila, Razdan Pass and the Mughal Road all closed in January 2026. See our Kashmir vs Ladakh comparison.
• Families with babies, and older travellers who feel the cold. The CDC lists older adults with inadequate heating and babies sleeping in cold bedrooms among those most often affected by hypothermia, and says it is a medical emergency. January can work with a heated room, short outdoor stretches and warm layers, and we aim to ask each property about heating and share the answer before you pay. Our family trip guide covers the planning.
• People with heart or lung disease, diabetes, or who are pregnant. The CDC Yellow Book says unacclimatized travellers sleeping at 2,450 m (8,000 ft) or above are at risk of altitude illness and that physical fitness does not change that risk. The CDC's travel pages advise people with heart or lung disease to talk to a doctor familiar with high-altitude medicine before the trip and pregnant travellers to talk with their doctor, and note that diabetes may be difficult to manage at high elevation; anyone with a pre-existing condition should check with a doctor. Gulmarg sits at 2,650 m, and published heights for the top of the gondola's second phase run from about 3,750 m to 3,980 m. The CDC lists day trips to higher ground, returning lower to sleep, as an option, which is how our Quick Getaway, Classic and Explorer packages treat Gulmarg. Ask your doctor before choosing a Gulmarg night.
• First-time visitors who picture green meadows, blossom or long evenings. Sunset is between 5:32 and 5:59 pm in January, and the colour is white and grey. See the best time to visit Kashmir.
• Anyone with a tight onward connection. All flights to and from Srinagar were cancelled on 23 January 2026, and the highway was shut for at least three days.

For the current official travel advisories and what changed after April 2025, read our dated page Is Kashmir safe to visit? before you book.

Early, mid or late January: what changes?

One winter, 2025–26, shows the three phases of the month. It is one winter, not a pattern, which is why we will not name a lucky week:

What changes steadily through the month is the light, as the daylight table below shows: the day grows by about 35 minutes between 1 and 31 January.

What is open and what is closed in January?

The status of the places travellers ask about, with the dated report behind each. Recent winters are the most useful guide we have, and roads can open or close within hours of snow. A road that was open at the last report we found says nothing about your dates.

Daylight, flights and the spare day

Days are short but lengthen through the month. Srinagar's sunrise and sunset, from sunrise-sunset.org (cross-checked with the NOAA solar formula, which agrees to within a minute):

Snow and fog can interrupt travel without ending a trip, and the sensible response is slack in the plan rather than a different destination.

• Keep a spare day at both ends. Flights were cancelled on 23 January 2026, air operations were suspended the next morning and the highway was shut for at least three days. Do not book a same-day onward flight or a fixed-date event after you leave Srinagar.
• Put Gulmarg early, not last. It is the day a shut road, a stopped Phase 2 or a snow-light week spoils most, so leave yourself a later day to swap into.
• Expect road rules on snow days. On 16 January 2026 chains became compulsory on the Tangmarg–Gulmarg road during snowfall and icy conditions, and heavy vehicles were barred.
• Allow the longer drive. Published Srinagar to Gulmarg distances are 54, 56 or 60 km depending on the source (the Baramulla district site prints both 54 and 60, Wikipedia 56). The district site puts the drive at about an hour and a half; our snowfall guide says 2 to 3 hours in snow.
• Treat rail as a fallback. The Vande Bharat kept running on 24 January 2026, but the waiting list passed 50 by 27 January.
• Be indoors by dusk. Sunset is between 5:32 and 5:59 pm. Our Srinagar airport taxi page says the desk tracks flights and adjusts pickups for delays.

Gulmarg in January: the gondola, skiing and avalanche safety

Gulmarg sits at 2,650 m (Wikipedia; our skiing guide). Our Gulmarg skiing guide puts the ski season at mid-December to mid-March, snow permitting, and says the heaviest tourist traffic falls in late December and early January. What January delivers depends on the year. The Director of Tourism Kashmir called the gondola exceptionally busy in the first five days of January 2026 (Kashmir Convener, 5 January 2026). In the 2023–24 dry spell the Hotelier Association's president said on 17 January that about 40 per cent of bookings had been cancelled, Kashmir Life's 6 February 2024 report refers to Gulmarg's brown, bare slopes, and a hotel manager told Kashmir Life on 6 February that ski lifts were closed. At the end of January 2026 the picture was the opposite: hotels fully booked on 28 January, and a Punjab group finishing a six-day skiing trip (Greater Kashmir). We cannot tell you which January you will get, so we do not sell a ski week on a promise of snow.

• Two phases. Our gondola guide explains them: Phase 1 to Kongdoori usually runs more often than Phase 2 to Apharwat. Published heights for the top of Phase 2 differ, from about 3,750 m (the Baramulla district site, 12,293 ft) to 3,980 m (Wikipedia's text and our guide; its infobox says 3,950 m).
• Tickets. The gondola is run by the Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation, whose official site tells visitors to book online and not to rely on touts. We leave fares off this page because the official site we could read prints none and published guides disagree. Our guide advises booking a slot before 11 am so Phase 2 is reachable before afternoon weather changes, and warns of peak-season queues of more than two hours.
• For non-skiers. Our skiing guide lists sledging, snow tubing and short guided snowshoe walks near the base. Ski, gear and lesson costs are not in the four package price tables below, so we quote none here; our Gulmarg ski packages page describes the ski option, and snow cover varies by year, so ask us for current costs and conditions.
• Where to stay. Our Gulmarg hotel guide lists options, and our hotel notes say most mid-range Gulmarg hotels do not have central heating and suggest asking for a room heater in winter.

Avalanche warnings are part of a Kashmir January. Authorities warned on 26 January 2026 of a high-danger avalanche in Ganderbal district, and an avalanche hit the Sonmarg resort the next night with no loss of life reported (ETV Bharat, 28 January 2026). After the same snowfall the CEO of the Gulmarg Development Authority urged visitors to use only the specified ski tracks (Greater Kashmir, 28 January 2026). Skiers have died near Affarwat in other winters: two foreign skiers died in an avalanche reported on 1 February 2023, days after heavy snow (Reuters, via Gulf News). Our advice for first-timers is to stay on the specified tracks, hire a local guide for anything else, and ask on the day about avalanche advisories.

Places to visit and things to do in Kashmir in January

• Gulmarg: gondola, sledging and snow walks. A seven-day Winter Carnival organised by the Tourism Department and the Gulmarg Development Authority was reported around New Year 2026 (Kashmir Horizon, 1 January 2026); we have seen no dates announced for 2027, so ask us before you plan around one.
• Srinagar: lake light, gardens and the old town. A one-hour shikara ride is part of every package below, and an early-afternoon slot gives the low winter sun. Do not expect flowers at the Mughal Gardens; go for the terraces and the quiet. The Old Srinagar heritage walk suits the middle of the day, and the shikara booking page lists ride types.
• Food that belongs to the cold. Kashmir Life (5 January 2024) says harissa, slow-cooked with mutton or chicken and spices, symbolises the essence of winter dining, gives warmth in cold weather and is shared at gatherings and winter celebrations. Hokh syun, vegetables sun-dried in late summer and stored for winter, is a winter food tradition (Outlook Traveller; Kashmir Life). Our Kashmiri food guide covers kahwa and the rest. Outlook Traveller also describes the kangri, a firepot carried under the pheran cloak, as a household heating tradition that keeps working in long power cuts. For indoor afternoons, see our handicrafts guide.
• Sonmarg: a snow day trip. The packages allow about three hours each way from Srinagar. Check avalanche advisories on the day; pony rides to Thajiwas Glacier are paid directly and are not in package prices.
• Pahalgam: the river valley. The Lidder River walk is part of the packages. Aru and Betaab depend on snow and access on the day, so treat them as optional; our Aru Valley guide has the detail.
• For couples. January suits couples who want fireside evenings and snow in the photographs; see our Kashmir honeymoon guide and our Kashmir tour for couples.

Where to stay in January: heating, power and frozen pipes

A night on a houseboat is still one of the reasons people come, but heating and hot water differ from boat to boat, so we aim to ask about both for the specific boat and share the answer before you pay. Our Dal Lake houseboat page says most deluxe and luxury boats have power backup while standard boats may have limited electricity during load shedding.

Power and water are the questions people forget. KPDCL's scheduled cuts in December 2024 ran from three to six hours in metered Srinagar to eight hours in non-metered areas (ETV Bharat, 10 December 2024), which the corporation put down to demand for electricity in the cold. We found no equivalent report for January 2026, but Sonmarg had unscheduled power cuts, reported on 28 January 2026 (Greater Kashmir), and The Tribune reported frozen water pipes in many areas on 2 January 2024. Ask these before you book:

Our default for January is hotel nights in Srinagar and Gulmarg and one houseboat night once the heating is confirmed for that boat. Several published packages include a houseboat night; tell us if you prefer hotels throughout and we can re-price. Our Srinagar hotel guide lists options.

What to pack for Kashmir in January

The readings above set the list: nights down to about −10 °C in Gulmarg and about −11 °C to −12 °C in Pahalgam and Sonmarg, a short day and strong snow glare. For January bring:

• Thermal base layers, top and bottom, and a fleece or wool mid-layer. Skip cotton, which holds damp and leaves you colder.
• A down jacket rated for sub-zero temperatures. The coldest Gulmarg readings we found were about −10 °C (the night before the lows in The Hitavada's 15 January 2021 report) and −9.2 °C (8 January 2026), Pahalgam reached −11.7 °C in 2021, and Sonmarg −11.2 °C in 2026, so we would choose one with a comfort rating of about −10 °C to −15 °C if you will be outdoors after dark.
• Waterproof snow boots with good grip, and at least three pairs of wool socks.
• Waterproof gloves with a thin liner, and a woollen cap that covers the ears.
• Sunglasses or snow goggles, because snow glare is strong even on overcast days.
• Lip balm with SPF and a thick moisturiser, since the cold air is drying.
• A power bank and a small torch: houseboats and homestays can have few sockets, and cuts are real.
• Your regular medicines, with a note from your doctor if you have a heart, lung or blood-sugar condition, and some cash for ponies, small shops and taxis, because we would not rely on card machines in Pahalgam or Sonmarg.

Our packing list mentions winter-gear rental in Gulmarg. The four package pages below do not list it among their inclusions, so ask us what is covered before you rely on it.

A 6-day January outline with a spare day

This is our published 5 nights / 6 days Kashmir package with a Gulmarg stay, re-ordered for January: the weather-dependent night comes early, and the Sonmarg trip doubles as the spare day. The package page shows the standard order, hotel tiers and prices. Drive times are the package's own, for dry roads.

1. Day 1, Srinagar. Airport pickup, then the Mughal Gardens and a one-hour shikara ride as the light allows (sunset is near 5:30 pm early in the month). Night in a Srinagar hotel, or on a houseboat whose heating is confirmed.
2. Day 2, Srinagar to Gulmarg. About 1.5 hours on dry roads, 2 to 3 hours in snow, with chains compulsory in snowfall. Meadow walk and Phase 1 of the gondola in the afternoon if it is running, Phase 2 the next morning if the wind allows. Night in Gulmarg.
3. Day 3, Gulmarg to Pahalgam. An early gondola ride, then about three hours' drive to Pahalgam and the Lidder River at dusk. Night in Pahalgam.
4. Day 4, Pahalgam to Srinagar. Aru or Betaab only if snow and road allow (paid directly), then the old town, kahwa and shopping. Night in Srinagar.
5. Day 5, Sonmarg day trip. About three hours each way, a pony to Thajiwas Glacier if conditions allow (paid directly), and a look at that day's avalanche advisory before you go. If Gulmarg was snowed out on Day 2, swap the two days. Last night in Srinagar, on a houseboat if the heating is confirmed.
6. Day 6, departure. Airport drop. A same-day connection after a Srinagar departure is the first thing weather breaks, so leave slack.

Two notes. If your week turns out dry, the lake, the gardens, the food and the gondola views still work; what may not is skiing. And the package's basic hotel tier lists a property in Tangmarg, the town below Gulmarg, for the Gulmarg night, while the premium and 4-star tiers list Gulmarg hotels; tell us if waking up in Gulmarg matters to you. For shorter or longer trips see the 3 nights / 4 days quick getaway, the 4 nights / 5 days Kashmir classic and the 5 nights / 6 days Kashmir explorer, or our winter packages page.

What does a January trip cost?

These are the published starting-from prices per person from the package tables, on twin sharing. Each package page lists its hotel tiers but publishes one starting price per group size; ask us for the price of the tier you want. The prices step down with group size, and the final price also depends on your dates.

Prices include deluxe rooms as per the hotel list, daily breakfast and dinner, a one-hour shikara ride, Srinagar airport pickup and drop, a private vehicle and all taxes. They exclude airfare, lunches, Gulmarg gondola tickets, trips to Betaab, Aru or Chandanwari (paid directly), pony rides (paid directly), entry fees, guide charges, personal expenses and any cost due to natural calamities such as landslides or strikes. The gondola is run by the Jammu and Kashmir Cable Car Corporation, whose site links to its online ticket booking; check the fare there. Tell us your dates and we can help you book a slot, but nobody can guarantee a slot in a peak week.

The tables do not split January from other months, so ask us to confirm the fare for your exact dates, especially New Year week and the end of January after a snowfall, when Gulmarg's hotels have filled (fully booked on 28 January 2026). The January 2024 cancellations show the other side: when snow does not arrive, bookings can fall away, and we would rather re-plan your days than sell you a promise.

What not to plan in January

• One snow date for the whole trip. The last three Januaries looked different from one another.
• A ski-only week booked without checking snow. In the 2023–24 dry spell a hotel manager told Kashmir Life (6 February 2024) that ski lifts were closed.
• Gulmarg on the last day. A shut road or a stopped Phase 2 then leaves no day to swap.
• Gurez, the Mughal Road or the Leh road. All three were shut by snow in January 2026. For Ladakh, see our Kashmir vs Ladakh comparison.
• Walking on the Dal Lake ice. None of the reports we read gives a thickness.
• Tulips, blossom or autumn colour. The tulip garden opens in March; see our month-by-month guide.
• A room without heating, hot water and power answers. Ask the five questions in the table above.
• A same-day onward flight. Flights were cancelled on 23 January 2026 and still disrupted on 27 January.

Next step

Send us your dates, group size and what matters most (snow, skiing, a houseboat night, a honeymoon) through our contact page. We aim to tell you what the Srinagar MeT office is forecasting and which roads are running, and to send a priced plan. MeT outlooks look only a week or two ahead (the one reported on 28 January 2026 ran to 6 February), so the answer for your dates only exists in the week you travel. Plan with a spare day and decide the snow-dependent days last.