Climate
Shimla features a subtropical highland climate under the Köppen climate classification. The climate in Shimla is predominantly cool during winters, and moderately warm during summer. Temperatures typically range from −4 °C (25 °F) to 31 °C (88 °F) over the course of a year. The average temperature during summer is between 19 °C (66 °F) and 28 °C (82 °F), and between −1 °C (30 °F) and 10 °C (50 °F) in winter. Monthly precipitation varies between 15 millimetres (0.59 in) in November to 434 millimetres (17.1 in) in August. It is typically around 45 millimetres (1.8 in) per month during winter and spring and around 175 millimetres (6.9 in) in June as the monsoon approaches. The average total annual precipitation is 1,575 millimetres (62 in), which is much less than most other hill stations but still greatly heavier than on the plains. Snowfall in the region, which historically has taken place in the month of December, has lately (over the last fifteen years) been happening in January or early February every year.
| Climate data for Shimla | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 17.2 (63.0) |
19.4 (66.9) |
23.9 (75.0) |
28.3 (82.9) |
30.0 (86.0) |
30.6 (87.1) |
27.8 (82.0) |
25.6 (78.1) |
24.4 (75.9) |
23.9 (75.0) |
19.4 (66.9) |
20.0 (68.0) |
30.6 (87.1) |
| Average high °C (°F) | 8.3 (46.9) |
8.9 (48.0) |
13.9 (57.0) |
18.3 (64.9) |
22.2 (72.0) |
22.8 (73.0) |
20.6 (69.1) |
19.4 (66.9) |
19.4 (66.9) |
17.2 (63.0) |
13.9 (57.0) |
10.6 (51.1) |
16.3 (61.3) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | 5.2 (41.4) |
5.8 (42.4) |
10.6 (51.1) |
14.7 (58.5) |
18.3 (64.9) |
18.3 (64.9) |
18.1 (64.6) |
17.2 (63.0) |
16.6 (61.9) |
13.9 (57.0) |
10.5 (50.9) |
7.5 (45.5) |
13.05 (55.49) |
| Average low °C (°F) | 2.2 (36.0) |
2.8 (37.0) |
6.7 (44.1) |
11.1 (52.0) |
14.4 (57.9) |
16.1 (61.0) |
15.6 (60.1) |
15.0 (59.0) |
13.9 (57.0) |
10.6 (51.1) |
7.2 (45.0) |
4.4 (39.9) |
10.0 (50.0) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −9.4 (15.1) |
−7.7 (18.1) |
−5.6 (21.9) |
0.0 (32.0) |
4.4 (39.9) |
7.8 (46.0) |
10.0 (50.0) |
11.1 (52.0) |
5.0 (41.0) |
3.9 (39.0) |
0.0 (32.0) |
−6.1 (21.0) |
−9.4 (15.1) |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 61 (2.4) |
69 (2.72) |
61 (2.4) |
53 (2.09) |
66 (2.6) |
175 (6.89) |
424 (16.69) |
434 (17.09) |
160 (6.3) |
33 (1.3) |
13 (0.51) |
28 (1.1) |
1,577 (62.09) |
| Snowfall cm (inches) | 53 (21) |
33.5 (13.2) |
8 (3) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
2.3 (.9) |
18 (7) |
41 (16) |
155.2 (61.1) |
| % humidity | 83 | 82 | 85 | 84 | 81 | 88 | 92 | 91 | 86 | 80 | 78 | 80 | 84.2 |
| Avg. snowy days | 14.7 | 7.5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .1 | 1.6 | 9.8 | 19.9 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 82.2 | 89.0 | 216.0 | 276.0 | 298.1 | 236.0 | 157.3 | 168.4 | 221.0 | 213.9 | 140.0 | 96.2 | 2,194.7 |
| Source: Worldwide Bioclimatic Classification System | |||||||||||||
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