Gilgit climate
Gilgit (Pakistan) has a cold semi-arid climate (Köppen BSk). The average temperature over the year is 16 °C60 °F, and about 263 mm10 in of precipitation falls in an average year.
Temperature by month
Precipitation by month
Gilgit climate table
| Month | High °C°F | Low °C°F | Mean °C°F | Precip. mmin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 744 | −228 | 236 | 240.9 |
| Feb | 948 | 032 | 440 | 301.2 |
| Mar | 1458 | 642 | 1050 | 281.1 |
| Apr | 2069 | 1152 | 1660 | 321.3 |
| May | 2678 | 1559 | 2068 | 220.9 |
| Jun | 3187 | 1966 | 2577 | 210.8 |
| Jul | 3595 | 2271 | 2883 | 230.9 |
| Aug | 3493 | 2171 | 2882 | 240.9 |
| Sep | 2984 | 1763 | 2373 | 160.6 |
| Oct | 2271 | 1253 | 1762 | 100.4 |
| Nov | 1559 | 643 | 1051 | 180.7 |
| Dec | 1049 | 133 | 541 | 140.5 |
| Year | 3595 | −228 | 1660 | 26310 |
“Year” row: highest monthly high, lowest monthly low, annual mean and annual total.
| Month | Humid. | Cloud | Solar | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 71% | 78% | 2.4 | 9:58 |
| Feb | 76% | 80% | 2.8 | 10:50 |
| Mar | 69% | 81% | 4.0 | 11:52 |
| Apr | 60% | 82% | 5.1 | 13:04 |
| May | 51% | 81% | 6.1 | 14:03 |
| Jun | 43% | 74% | 6.4 | 14:35 |
| Jul | 42% | 68% | 6.5 | 14:22 |
| Aug | 47% | 67% | 6.0 | 13:30 |
| Sep | 46% | 64% | 5.2 | 12:21 |
| Oct | 41% | 66% | 4.2 | 11:12 |
| Nov | 51% | 74% | 3.0 | 10:12 |
| Dec | 60% | 75% | 2.3 | 9:44 |
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 Gilgit is like
The warmest month is July, with an average high of 35 °C95 °F and a low of 22 °C71 °F. The coldest is January, when highs average 7 °C44 °F and lows −2 °C28 °F. Seasons are strongly marked: the warmest month is on average 26.1 °C47 °F warmer than the coldest.
It is dry, with about 263 mm10 in of precipitation per year. The wettest three-month stretch is February–April, which brings 35% of the annual total. Months with less than 20 mm0.8 in on average: September–December. The wettest month is April (32 mm1.3 in), the driest is October (10 mm0.4 in).
Relative humidity ranges from 41% in October to 76% in February. The clearest skies (lowest average cloud amount, 64%) are typical of September. Average wind speed near the ground ranges from 3 km/h (2 mph) in October to 4 km/h (3 mph) in April. Daylight lasts from about 9.7 hours in December to 14.6 hours in June.
Best time to visit Gilgit
Based on these averages, the most comfortable months for sightseeing and outdoor activities are April and May and September and October: average highs of 20 °C69 °F to 29 °C84 °F with 10 mm0.4 in to 32 mm1.3 in of precipitation per month.
The most challenging month is January, which is cold, with average highs of 7 °C44 °F.
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 Gilgit
- Winter (December–February) — highs 744 to 10 °C49 °F, lows −228 to 1 °C33 °F, about 23 mm0.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack a warm coat, layers and closed shoes and shoes with good grip, as frost is common.
- Spring (March–May) — highs 1458 to 26 °C78 °F, lows 642 to 15 °C59 °F, about 27 mm1.1 in of precipitation a month. Pack light layers — T-shirts plus a light sweater or jacket.
- Summer (June–August) — highs 3187 to 35 °C95 °F, lows 1966 to 22 °C71 °F, about 23 mm0.9 in of precipitation a month. Pack very light, breathable clothing, a sun hat and plenty of water.
- Autumn (September–November) — highs 1559 to 29 °C84 °F, lows 643 to 17 °C63 °F, about 15 mm0.6 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.
How Gilgit compares
Compared with Skardu, about 138 km to the southeast, Gilgit is on average 5.1 °C9.2 °F warmer and receives 26% less precipitation (263 mm10 in vs 354 mm14 in). The difference is largest in March (5.5 °C9.9 °F warmer).
Of the 92 places in Pakistan covered by World Climates, Gilgit is the 90th warmest by annual mean temperature and the 45th wettest by annual precipitation. See all of them on the Pakistan climate page.
Places in other countries with the most similar temperature and rainfall pattern: Ganja (Azerbaijan, BSk), Bagram (Afghanistan, BSk) and Kapan (Armenia, BSk).
Nearby places
- Skardu 138 km · 11 °C51 °F · 354 mm14 in
- Battagram 181 km · 19 °C67 °F · 853 mm34 in
- Muzaffarabad 188 km · 21 °C70 °F · 853 mm34 in
- Srinagar 209 km · 16 °C61 °F · 772 mm30 in
- Mingora 218 km · 19 °C67 °F · 684 mm27 in
- Dhirkot 219 km · 15 °C60 °F · 883 mm35 in
- Abbottabad 221 km · 18 °C65 °F · 988 mm39 in
- Anantnag 255 km · 16 °C60 °F · 828 mm33 in
Frequently asked questions
What is the warmest month in Gilgit?
July is the warmest month in Gilgit, with an average high of 35 °C (95 °F) and an average low of 22 °C (71 °F).
What is the coldest month in Gilgit?
January is the coldest month, with an average high of 7 °C (44 °F) and an average low of -2 °C (28 °F).
When does it rain the most in Gilgit?
April is the wettest month with about 32 mm (1.3 in) of precipitation; October is the driest with about 10 mm (0.4 in).
What is the best time to visit Gilgit?
Judging by long-term averages, the most comfortable months are April and May and September and October.
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 3,627 m, while Gilgit lies at about 1,467 m. Temperatures on this page were therefore adjusted by +14 °C25.3 °F using the standard lapse rate of 6.5 °C per 1,000 m.