Annapurna Circuit Weather Guide

Annapurna Circuit weather rarely behaves the way a single forecast suggests. You can start a morning in short sleeves near Besisahar and end the same week wrapped in a down jacket at Thorong Phedi.

The trail climbs from around 800 m to 5,416 m at Thorong La, and that elevation swing rewrites the weather almost daily. Understanding how temperature, wind, and season interact along this route matters more than picking a single “best month” from a calendar!

Why the Weather Shifts So Fast Along the Route?

The circuit passes through subtropical forest, alpine meadow, and a semi-arid trans-Himalayan zone within about two weeks.

Each zone sits in its own microclimate. Lower villages like Chame or Tal stay humid and mild for most of the year.

Once you climb past Manang, the Annapurna massif blocks most monsoon moisture, so the upper valley turns dry and dusty even when it is raining on the other side of the range.

This rain-shadow effect is the single biggest reason the circuit’s weather feels split in two!

Annapurna Circuit Weather Season by Season

Now, let’s get into what trekking in different season looks like in Annapurna Circuit Trek.

Autumn (September to November)

Autumn offers the most stable weather window. Early September still carries the tail end of the monsoon, with short afternoon showers that clear by mid-month.

From late September onward, skies stay mostly clear, daytime temperatures in the lower valleys sit between 15°C and 22°C, and Thorong La sees daytime highs closer to -4°C.

This is also the busiest season, so teahouse rooms near Manang and High Camp fill up fast in October.

Winter (December to February)

Winter brings the clearest air of the year but also the harshest cold. Lower villages stay walkable, with daytime temperatures around 10°C to 15°C.

Above 4,000 m, nights regularly drop to -15°C or colder, and Thorong La can close for days after heavy snowfall. Trekking is possible with the right gear, but flexibility matters more here than in any other season!

Spring (March to May)

Spring warms up gradually as rhododendron forests bloom through the mid-altitude sections.

Daytime temperatures run from 10°C to 20°C at lower elevations, and most snow from winter has melted off the pass by April. Afternoon haze can soften mountain views compared to autumn, though mornings usually stay clear.

Monsoon (June to August)

Monsoon rain falls heavily on the southern and eastern sections of the circuit, particularly between Besisahar and Chame, where trails turn muddy and leech activity picks up.

Because the upper Manang and Mustang valleys sit in Annapurna’s rain shadow, this stretch stays comparatively dry and remains a genuine option for experienced trekkers willing to manage wet lower sections.

Temperature by Altitude (Not Just by Month)

A single “average temperature” figure is not that useful on the Annapurna Circuit Trek, since altitude changes the numbers more than the calendar does. As a rough guide:

• Below 2,000 m: daytime 15°C to 25°C, nights 5°C to 15°C
• 2,000 m to 3,500 m: daytime 10°C to 20°C, nights 0°C to 10°C
• Above 3,500 m, including Thorong La: daytime 0°C to 5°C, nights -10°C to -20°C

Wind chill pushes the effective temperature at the pass well below the thermometer reading, so pack for conditions colder than these numbers suggest!

The Wind Nobody Mentions Until You Feel It!

Ask anyone who has walked through the Kali Gandaki Gorge about Annapurna Circuit weather, and wind comes up before temperature does.

The gorge sits between two 8,000 m peaks, Annapurna I and Dhaulagiri, and acts as a funnel between the Tibetan Plateau and the lower valleys.

Mornings through Jomsom, Kagbeni, and Marpha stay calm. By early afternoon, pressure differences drive strong gusts down the valley, carrying dust and making the final stretch toward Muktinath noticeably harder.

Because of this, our guides at Everest Trekking Routes often schedule the toughest walking before midday whenever the route runs through this section.

How Climate Change is Altering This Trail?

The weather patterns described above are shifting. The Hindu Kush Himalaya region has warmed faster than the global average since the 1970s, and monsoon rains now frequently extend into late September, delaying the start of the reliable autumn window.

Snow persistence has also declined sharply! ICIMOD’s 2026 snow update recorded Hindu Kush Himalayan snow cover roughly 28% below the long-term average, the fourth consecutive year of below-normal snowpack!

For trekkers, this shows up as less predictable snow at the pass, drier but dustier conditions in some years, and occasional late-season storms that used to be rare in October.

When Weather Turns Dangerous?

Annapurna Circuit weather is usually forgiving, but it is not always predictable.

On October 14, 2014, the remnants of Cyclone Hudhud merged with a Himalayan storm system and dropped close to 1.8 meters of snow around Thorong La within about 12 hours.

Forty-three people died, mostly trekkers and local guides caught without warning near the pass.

The disaster remains a reminder that even the safest season can turn quickly at high altitude. Checking forecasts daily near the pass, and turning back when conditions worsen, matters more than sticking to a fixed schedule.

Permits and How We Handle Them

Trekking the Annapurna Circuit requires the Annapurna Conservation Area Permit (ACAP) and a Trekkers’ Information Management System (TIMS) card, along with a Restricted Area Permit if your route continues into Upper Mustang.

We handle all of this paperwork as part of our packages at Everest Trekking Routes, so you arrive in Kathmandu with everything already in order.

We also include an experienced guide with every itinerary, not because one is legally required, but because local knowledge of wind timing, pass conditions, and shifting weather genuinely changes how safe and comfortable the trek feels.

Tips With the Weather in Mind

Layering matters more than any single piece of gear! Here are the two most important tips for you:

• Bring a windproof outer shell for the Kali Gandaki stretch, a warm down jacket for nights above 3,500 m, and a buff for dust.
• Check the forecast at Manang and Muktinath in the days before your pass crossing, since conditions there shift faster than lower down the trail.

If you are still deciding when to go, tell us your travel dates and we will build your itinerary around the season that fits them best!