January
4°C / -11°C
Deep winter
Snow on Katpana dunes, most valleys closed, road access unreliable.
Plan
Skardu weather, month by month
Skardu sits in a high-altitude rain shadow: dry, sunny and cold at night. Summer days reach the low 30s in the valley while Deosai, 1,900 metres higher, stays close to freezing after dark.
February
7°C / -8°C
Deep winter
Cold and clear. Flights operate but cancellations are common.
March
13°C / -2°C
Shoulder
Snowmelt begins, valley greens up, apricot buds appear late in the month.
April
19°C / 3°C
Excellent
Apricot and cherry blossom across Kachura, Shigar and Khaplu.
May
24°C / 8°C
Excellent
Warm days, full blossom to green transition, Deosai still snowbound.
June
29°C / 12°C
Peak
Deosai usually opens late in the month. Trekking season starts.
July
32°C / 16°C
Peak
Busiest month. Deosai wildflowers, all valleys open, book ahead.
August
31°C / 15°C
Peak
Hot in the valley, apricot harvest, occasional monsoon-edge landslides on the KKH.
September
27°C / 10°C
Excellent
Clearest skies of the year and thinning crowds. Ideal for photography.
October
21°C / 4°C
Excellent
Autumn gold in the poplars. Deosai closes mid-month.
November
14°C / -2°C
Shoulder
Cold, quiet and beautiful. Many hotels begin closing.
December
7°C / -8°C
Winter
Snow arrives. Only winter-specific trips make sense.
Deciding when to book? Read the best time to visit Skardu.