Gangtok climate
Gangtok (Sikkim, India) has a monsoon-influenced humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa). The average temperature over the year is 18 °C64 °F, and about 1,092 mm43 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Gangtok climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1660 | 540 | 1050 | 50.2 |
| Feb | 1763 | 643 | 1253 | 120.5 |
| Mar | 2068 | 948 | 1458 | 301.2 |
| Apr | 2374 | 1253 | 1763 | 572.2 |
| May | 2678 | 1560 | 2069 | 1114.4 |
| Jun | 2882 | 1966 | 2374 | 1626.4 |
| Jul | 2781 | 2069 | 2475 | 28411 |
| Aug | 2781 | 2068 | 2475 | 2258.9 |
| Sep | 2679 | 1865 | 2272 | 1536.0 |
| Oct | 2373 | 1457 | 1965 | 481.9 |
| Nov | 2068 | 1050 | 1559 | 30.1 |
| Dec | 1763 | 745 | 1254 | 30.1 |
| Year | 2882 | 540 | 1864 | 1,09243 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 58% | 61% | 3.5 | 10:35 |
| Feb | 59% | 67% | 3.9 | 11:12 |
| Mar | 60% | 72% | 4.4 | 11:56 |
| Apr | 66% | 77% | 4.7 | 12:47 |
| May | 77% | 81% | 4.6 | 13:29 |
| Jun | 84% | 85% | 4.3 | 13:51 |
| Jul | 89% | 87% | 4.0 | 13:42 |
| Aug | 89% | 87% | 4.1 | 13:06 |
| Sep | 89% | 83% | 3.8 | 12:17 |
| Oct | 82% | 69% | 4.1 | 11:28 |
| Nov | 71% | 60% | 3.9 | 10:45 |
| Dec | 61% | 59% | 3.5 | 10:25 |
Humid. = average relative humidity at 2 m; cloud = average cloud amount; solar = average daily solar energy reaching the ground in kWh/m² (all-sky); daylight in hours:minutes, calculated for the 15th of each month.
What the climate of Gangtok is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 27 °C81 °F and a low of 20 °C69 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 16 °C60 °F and lows 5 °C40 °F. There is a clear seasonal cycle, with 13.8 °C24.8 °F between the average temperature of the warmest and the coolest month.
It is wet, with about 1,092 mm43 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is June–August, which brings 61% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: November–February. The wettest month is July (284 mm11 in), the driest is December (3 mm0.1 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 58% in January to 89% in August. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 59%) are typical of December. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 4 km/h (2 mph) in December to 7 km/h (4 mph) in June. Daylight lasts from about 10.4 hours in December to 13.9 hours in June.
Best time to visit Gangtok
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are March and April and October and November: average highs of 20 °C68 °F to 23 °C74 °F with 3 mm0.1 in to 57 mm2.2 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is July, which is very wet (284 mm11 in) and humid (89% relative humidity).
Comfort score: months are ranked by how close they come to an average high of 21–28 °C (70–82 °F), lows above 5 °C (41 °F), little precipitation and moderate humidity. The best-ranked months of each place are recommended, even where none meets all of these. These are general rules of thumb applied to long-term averages.
What to pack for Gangtok
- Winter (December–February) — highs 1660 to 17 °C63 °F, lows 540 to 7 °C45 °F, about 7 mm0.3 in of precipitation a month. Pack long sleeves, a sweater and a medium jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 2068 to 26 °C78 °F, lows 948 to 15 °C60 °F, about 66 mm2.6 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket and an extra layer for the cooler mornings and evenings.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 2781 to 28 °C82 °F, lows 1966 to 20 °C69 °F, about 224 mm8.8 in of precipitation a month. Pack light summer clothes such as T-shirts, shorts or light dresses and a good rain jacket or umbrella and quick-drying shoes.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 2068 to 26 °C79 °F, lows 1050 to 18 °C65 °F, about 68 mm2.7 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
How Gangtok compares
Compared with Darjiling, about 47 km to the southwest, Gangtok is on average 4.6 °C8.3 °F warmer and receives 29% less precipitation (1,092 mm43 in vs 1,545 mm61 in). The difference is largest in July (6.7 °C12.1 °F warmer).
Of the 382 places in India covered by World Climates, Gangtok is the 376th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 144th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the India climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern (seasons shifted for the other hemisphere where needed): Kathmandu (Nepal, Cwa), Xichang (China, Cwa) and Córdoba (Argentina, Cwa).
Nearby places
- Darjiling 47 km · 13 °C56 °F · 1,545 mm61 in
- Siliguri 71 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,774 mm70 in
- Jalpaiguri 91 km · 25 °C77 °F · 2,048 mm81 in
- Jaigaon 92 km · 26 °C78 °F · 1,620 mm64 in
- Thimphu 103 km · 13 °C56 °F · 1,024 mm40 in
- Dharan 144 km · 24 °C76 °F · 1,231 mm48 in
- Kishanganj 151 km · 25 °C77 °F · 1,701 mm67 in
- Biratnagar 165 km · 26 °C79 °F · 1,394 mm55 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Gangtok?
July is the warmest month in Gangtok, with an average high of 27 °C (81 °F) and an average low of 20 °C (69 °F).
What is the coldest month in Gangtok?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 16 °C (60 °F) and an average low of 5 °C (40 °F).
When does it rain the most in Gangtok?
July is the wettest month with about 284 mm (11.2 in) of precipitation; December is the driest with about 3 mm (0.1 in).
What is the best time to visit Gangtok?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are March and April and October and November.
About this data
All figures are 25-year averages (January 2001 – December 2025) from the NASA POWER project. Temperature, humidity, wind and precipitation come from the MERRA-2 reanalysis (precipitation is the bias-corrected MERRA-2 product), cloud and solar values from CERES satellite data. They describe a grid cell of roughly 50–70 km, not a single weather station, so they can differ from airport records — most of all on coasts, in mountains and for rainfall. Average highs and lows are the monthly mean temperature plus/minus half of the average daily temperature range. Counts of rainy days are not part of this dataset.
The grid cell’s average elevation is 3,240 m, while Gangtok lies at about 1,654 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +10.3 °C18.6 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.