Gilgit climate

Gilgit is warmest in July, with average highs of 31 °C, and coldest in January, when nights average -7.1 °C. March is the wettest month (137 mm) and December the driest (74 mm). Figures are 1991–2020 climate normals.

Across a full year Gilgit averages 1,291 mm of rain, 98 days above 25 °C and 130 days below freezing.

Pakistan · population 216,760 · 1991–2020 normals

  1. Jan -4°
  2. Feb -1°
  3. Mar
  4. Apr
  5. May 13°
  6. Jun 21°
  7. Jul 26°
  8. Aug 26°
  9. Sep 21°
  10. Oct 11°
  11. Nov
  12. Dec -2°

Temperature below 0 °C to above 30 °C Rain band height is that month’s share of the wettest month

What to expectGilgit through the year

Gilgit has a clear annual cycle: average daily highs run from -0.9 °C in January to 31 °C in July, a swing of 30 °C in mean temperature across the year.

Counted across a normal year, 98 days a year reach 25 °C, 42 of them reach 30 °C, 130 nights drop below freezing. The warmest reading in the 1991–2020 record is 39 °C, in August.

Rain is spread fairly evenly through the year, from 74 mm in December to 137 mm in March. There is no dry season to aim for.

Month by month

Month Avg high Rainfall Cloud
January -0.9 °C 82 mm 64 %
February 1.9 °C 111 mm 67 %
March 6.2 °C 137 mm 66 %
April 11.1 °C 128 mm 61 %
May 17.5 °C 135 mm 55 %
June 25.9 °C 113 mm 41 %
July 30.6 °C 107 mm 37 %
August 30.2 °C 116 mm 41 %
September 25.5 °C 116 mm 40 %
October 15.4 °C 98 mm 41 %
November 6.5 °C 74 mm 49 %
December 1.0 °C 74 mm 56 %

Temperature month by month

MonthAvg highAvg lowMeanRecord highRecord lowDays above 25 °CDays above 30 °CDays below 0 °C
January-0.9 °C-7.1 °C-3.7 °C16.4 °C-19.4 °C0027
February1.9 °C-4.5 °C-1.0 °C15.6 °C-16.6 °C0021
March6.2 °C-1.2 °C2.8 °C19.7 °C-14.3 °C0019
April11.1 °C2.6 °C7.4 °C23.0 °C-11.2 °C009
May17.5 °C7.5 °C13.3 °C30.9 °C-4.3 °C201
June25.9 °C14.4 °C21.0 °C37.1 °C-0.1 °C1750
July30.6 °C20.4 °C26.2 °C39.3 °C11.0 °C30170
August30.2 °C20.5 °C25.9 °C39.4 °C8.4 °C30160
September25.5 °C15.7 °C21.1 °C35.6 °C-0.9 °C1830
October15.4 °C5.3 °C10.8 °C30.2 °C-17.3 °C107
November6.5 °C-2.1 °C2.5 °C23.3 °C-16.7 °C0019
December1.0 °C-6.0 °C-2.2 °C19.7 °C-20.9 °C0026

Rain, sun and wind month by month

MonthRainfallWet daysDaylightCloud coverHumidityWind
January82 mm1310.0 h/day64 %61 %2.5 km/h
February111 mm1411 h/day67 %65 %2.3 km/h
March137 mm1612 h/day66 %68 %2.3 km/h
April128 mm1313 h/day61 %68 %2.4 km/h
May135 mm1414 h/day55 %68 %2.5 km/h
June113 mm1515 h/day41 %63 %2.8 km/h
July107 mm1714 h/day37 %62 %2.8 km/h
August116 mm1914 h/day41 %63 %2.8 km/h
September116 mm1712 h/day40 %64 %2.8 km/h
October98 mm1211 h/day41 %59 %2.7 km/h
November74 mm910 h/day49 %55 %2.6 km/h
December74 mm119.7 h/day56 %58 %2.5 km/h

How Gilgit compares

The same four figures for nearby destinations, so the numbers above have something to be read against. Summer high is the warmest month's average high; winter low is the coldest month's average low.

Destination Summer high Winter low Rain per year Days above 25 °C
Gilgit 31 °C -7.1 °C 1,291 mm 98
Skardu · Pakistan 25 °C -13 °C 1,090 mm 27
Battagram · Pakistan 31 °C -0.1 °C 1,386 mm 167
Muzaffarābād · Pakistan 32 °C -0.7 °C 1,271 mm 188
Srinagar · India 26 °C -4.5 °C 2,592 mm 61
Mingora · Pakistan 32 °C -0.7 °C 1,388 mm 173
Dhirkot · Pakistan 27 °C -4.7 °C 1,548 mm 75

Where Gilgit ranks

RankingPositionValue
The coolest places in Asia in May19thof 5018 °C
The coolest places in Asia in April20thof 5011 °C

Planning a trip? See the best time to visit Gilgit.

QuestionsCommon questions about Gilgit’s climate

When is the best time to visit Gilgit?

That depends on what you want, so the honest answer is a comparison rather than a single month. June, August, September sit closest to 20 °C on average, July is the warmest month and December the driest. The month-by-month table above has the full picture.

How hot does Gilgit get?

In July, the warmest month, daily highs average 31 °C. About 42 days a year pass 30 °C. The highest value in the 1991–2020 record is 39 °C.

How cold does it get in winter?

Nights average -7.1 °C in January, the coldest month. A normal year has 130 nights below freezing.

Which month is wettest in Gilgit?

March, averaging 137 mm over 16 days with rain. The driest month is December with 74 mm. The year as a whole averages 1,291 mm.

Are these figures a forecast?

No. They are 1991–2020 climate normals: the average of thirty years, which describes what a month is usually like in Gilgit rather than what any particular week will bring. Individual years can differ substantially from the normal.

Data sources and method

Normal period
1991–2020
Dataset version
era5-1991-2020-scores1.1
Last processed

Measured values come from ERA5 reanalysis and are reproduced unchanged. Calculated by us: monthly rankings, daylight hours, beach and comfort scores. Full formulas are on the methodology page.

Contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information 2026. Neither the European Commission nor ECMWF is responsible for any use that may be made of the Copernicus information or data it contains.