Climate and Weather of Bhutan
The small Asian country of Bhutan lies partly in the Himalayan Mountains and some part in the subtropical lowlands. The difference in height causes different climate zones. From a subtropical climate in the south to temperate in the highlands and a polar-type climate with year-round snow in the north. The weather in Bhutan is quite unpredictable and can vary greatly by location and from day to day.Because of its location in the Himalayas, Bhutan is often mistakenly thought to be cold. In winter it is indeed cold on the high peaks, but at the moderate altitudes it generally only comes to light or sometimes moderate frosts during the night. Even during the winter months, daytime temperatures easily reach 4°C to 10°C. Locally, it can even get much warmer.
Bhutan has a distinct dry season, which runs from November through March. April and October are transition months between the dry season and the monsoon. The wet season lasts from May through mid-September and is synonymous with summer. During this period almost all of the annual rainfall falls. This can cause inconvenience in many forms, including floods and mudslides. Some roads in Bhutan become temporarily impassable during the monsoon season, requiring closure.
If you want to travel around Bhutan we would pick two specific periods for this. The first period is from early March to the second half of April. The weather is then fine in large parts of the country, with the note that it can still be mean cold in the highest mountain areas, especially during the night. A second good period to travel to Bhutan is between mid-October and mid-November. The monsoon is then over and the serious cold does not yet present itself in the higher regions.
Are you interested in more detailed information for various cities in Bhutan?
Please select the city you plan to visit, or one closest to your destination. For each selected city, you will see the following graphs:
1. Yearly average minimum and maximum temperatures
2. Monthly averages of precipitation throughout the year (rainfall, snow etc)
3. Monthly average hours of sunshine throughout the year
Additionally, some pages provide historical weather data such as humidity, wind speed, and water temperature.