Nepal - Climate

Below the Ka¯thmāndu Valley and throughout the Terai, the climate is subtropical and, in the swamps and forests, extremely humid. The valley itself enjoys the temperate conditions generally found between altitudes of 1,200 and 3,400 m (4,000–11,000 ft). At 1,300 m (4,300 ft) above sea level, the elevation of Ka¯thmāndu, the rainy season lasts from June to October; 80% of annual precipitation falls during this monsoon season. Colder weather follows, lasting until the middle of March, when the warm season begins. The warm season increases in intensity until broken by the rains, which account for precipitation of about 150 cm (60 in) annually. Temperatures in Ka¯thmāndu in January range from an average minimum of 2° C (36° F ) to an average maximum of 18° C (64° F ); the July range is 20–29° C (68–84° F ). Northward of the Ka¯thmāndu Valley, a subalpine zone continues to altitudes of about 4,300 m (14,000 ft); above that elevation, the country is covered with snow during the long winter, and extreme cold is experienced in the upper Himalayas.