Nepal
has four distinct seasons. Spring, from March to May, is warm and dusty
with rain showers at the end of May. Summer, from June to August, is
the monsoon season when the hills turn lush and green. Autumn, from
September to November, is cool with clear skies, and is the most
popular trekking season. In winter, from December to February, it is
cold at night and can be foggy in the early morning, but afternoons are
usually clear and pleasant, though there is occasional snow in the
mountains. Nepal is quite far south (at the same latitude as Miami and
Cairo) the weather is warmer and winter is much milder at lower
elevations, including Kathmandu at 1400 meters. It rarely snows below
2000 meters.
The monsoon in the Bay of
Bengal governs the weather pattern. The monsoon creates a rainy season
from the middle of June to the middle of September. It is hot during
the monsoon and it rains, but it is a considerate rain, limiting itself
mostly to the night. It usually does not rain for more than one or two
days during the entire autumn season from mid-October to mid-December.
During winter and spring there may be a week or so of rainy evenings
and occasional thunderstorms blanket the hills with snow. The Himalaya
makes its own localized weather, which varies significantly over a
distance of a few km.
In Kathmandu, spring and autumn days are comfortable and the evenings
are cool, usually requiring a light jacket or pullover. Winter in
Kathmandu brings cold foggy mornings and clear evenings, but pleasant
day temperatures with brilliant sunshine most days after the morning
fog has lifted. It never snows in Kathmandu, though there is frost on
cold nights in January and February. The hottest month is May, just
before the rains start. |
