Best time to visit Almora — seasons, rain and festivals
A caution on the numbers
Wikipedia's weather table for Almora is modelled data from a weather-statistics website, not an IMD station, and the article's own text gives a different annual figure. So we quote only the broad pattern: when it rains, when it is dry, and roughly how warm the days are.
The short version
October and November are the clearest, driest months and the easiest for the hill roads. March to June is summer, with daytime highs of about 28 °C in May and June on the modelled figures. July to October is the monsoon season in Wikipedia's account, with July and August the wettest at about 259 and 237 mm, so the roads to Katarmal and Jageshwar deserve a check in those months. Winter runs from November to February.
Month by month
March to June. Summer on the ridge. The modelled daytime highs peak at about 28 °C in May and June, and the hills are drier than in the monsoon. Good for the town, Kasar Devi and Chitai.
July to September. The wettest stretch, with about 259 mm in July and 237 mm in August. Views cloud over and hill roads can be slow, though the valleys are green. Jageshwar holds a monsoon festival in the month of Shravan, in July and August, according to Wikipedia.
October and November. The monsoon ends, and November is the driest month at about 3 mm of rain. This is the best window for views and for the longer drives to Katarmal and Jageshwar. Kasar Devi holds its large fair at Kartik Purnima, in November or December, so expect crowds on the day.
December to February. Winter, with a modelled January daytime high of about 14 °C. Carry warm layers, especially for the ridge villages. Jageshwar holds a Maha Shivaratri fair in early spring, according to Wikipedia.
Plan around it
Pick the one-day plan for the closer stops in any season and the two-day plan for the longer drives in the clear months. See how to reach Almora and things to do in Almora.
Plans that include this
All Almora itineraries →
Questions people ask
When is the best time to visit Almora?
The dry stretch from late autumn into spring is the easiest, with October and November the clearest. Wikipedia's modelled figures show July and August with about 259 and 237 mm of rain and November with about 3 mm. Summer is March to June, with daytime highs near 28 °C in May and June.
Does Almora get cold in winter?
Winter runs from November to February, and Wikipedia's modelled January daytime high is about 14 °C. The figures come from a weather-statistics website, not an IMD station, so treat them as a guide, and carry warm layers for the ridge villages, which are cooler than the town.
Are there festivals worth planning around?
Wikipedia says the Kasar Devi fair is held at the temple on Kartik Purnima, in November or December, and that Jageshwar has a monsoon festival in the month of Shravan and a Maha Shivaratri fair in early spring. The dates follow the lunar calendar, so check them before you plan.