Climate[edit]

Kathmandu

Climate chart (explanation)

J F M A M J J A S O N D

                       

                       

14 19 34 61 124 236 363 331 200 51 8.3 13

                       

                       

19 21 25 28 29 29 28 29 28 27 24 20

2 5 8 12 16 19 20 20 19 13 8 4

Average max. and min. temperatures in °C

Precipitation totals in mm

showImperial conversion

Five major climatic regions are found in Nepal. Of these, Kathmandu Valley is in
the Warm Temperate Zone (elevation ranging from 1,200 to 2,300 metres (3,900 to 7,500 ft)),
where the climate is fairly temperate, atypical for the region. This zone is followed by the Cool
Temperate Zone with elevation varying between 2,100 and 3,300 metres (6,900 and 10,800 ft).
Under Köppen's climate classification, portions of the city with lower elevations have a humid
subtropical climate (Cwa), while portions of the city with higher elevations generally have
a subtropical highland climate (Cwb). In the Kathmandu Valley, which is representative of its
valley's climate, the average summer temperature varies from 28 to 30 °C (82 to 86 °F). The
average winter temperature is 10.1 °C (50.2 °F).
The city generally has a climate with warm days followed by cool nights and mornings.
Unpredictable weather is expected, given that temperatures can drop to 1 °C (34 °F) or less
during the winter. During a 2013 cold front, the winter temperatures of Kathmandu dropped to
−4 °C (25 °F), and the lowest temperature was recorded on 10 January 2013, at −9.2 °C
(15.4 °F). Rainfall is mostly monsoon-based (about 65% of the total concentrated during
the monsoon months of June to September), and decreases substantially (100 to 200 cm (39 to
79 in)) from eastern Nepal to western Nepal. Rainfall has been recorded at about 1,400
millimetres (55.1 in) for the Kathmandu valley, and averages 1,407 millimetres (55.4 in) for the
city of Kathmandu. On average humidity is 75%.[24][30][31] The chart below is based on data from the
Nepal Bureau of Standards & Meteorology, Weather Meteorology for 2005. The chart provides
minimum and maximum temperatures during each month. The annual amount of precipitation
was 1,124 millimetres (44.3 in) for 2005, as per monthly data included in the table above. [31] The
decade of 2000–2010 saw highly variable and unprecedented precipitation anomalies in
Kathmandu. This was mostly due to the annual variation of the southwest monsoon. [citation needed] For
example, 2001 recorded only 356 mm (14 in) of precipitation due to an extraordinarily weak
monsoon season. In contrast, 2003 was the wettest year ever in Kathmandu, totaling over
2,900 mm (114 in) of precipitation due to an exceptionally strong monsoon season.