Temperature and Climate  

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

• Annual temperature range 

• Precipitation Distribution

• Humidity Ranges

• Rain/ Snow?

• Predominant Wind Directions

• Global Wind Patterns

• Air Masses

• Weather Systems

• Temperature and Precipitation

• Climate Type and Characteristics

Humitity Ranges:

The south eastern portion of the Himalayas have a range of humid to semi humid climate during the warmer months of June to September. During the summer months in regions such as Nepal you may experience foggy mornings. The North western Himalayas is a more arid region where you will likely not experience fog. 

https://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_Weather_EN/SEM7XXJTYRF_0.html#:~:text=All%20types%20of%20humidity%20levels,large%2C%20semi%2Darid%20areas.

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/151396/a-foggy-himalayan-morning#:~:text=This%20picture%20was%20taken%20at,no%20longer%20heating%20the%20surface.

Rain/ Snow?

The Himalayas have intense weather patterns now more than ever due to climate change. Depending on altitude there will be intense rain or snow spells causing horrific floods that destroy villages and agriculture. The eastern Himalayas in particular experience large amounts of rain due to their lower altitude at around 2638 mm/yr. The summer into early fall is when you will see the largest amount of precipitation in the region while the other months of the year many countries around the Himalayas experience a drought. 

https://www.reuters.com/business/environment/global-warming-link-intense-rains-indias-himalayas-scientists-2023-08-25/#:~:text=The%20number%20of%20very%20heavy,from%20the%20weather%20office%20showed.

https://www.britannica.com/place/Himalayas/Climate#:~:text=Climate%20of%20the%20Himalayas&text=The%20average%20annual%20rainfall%20on,state%2C%20in%20the%20eastern%20Himalayas.

Predominant Wind Directions:

• In the Himalayas the wind direction during the summer monsoon season is northeasterly while in non monsoon season there's a strong south westerly wind direction. https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thethirdpole.net/en/climate/himalayas-arabian-gulf-dust-can-melt-mountains-and-change-seas/%3famp https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1657/AAAR0016-010#:~:text=During%20non%2Dmonsoon%20times%2C%20the,%2C%20it%20was%20northeaster%2D%20ly.

Global Wind Patterns:

Winds flow to the west along the subtropical high pressure zone. The winds are mostly dry except when they travel over the ocean, they accumulate a lot of moisture and water vapor which then produces a lot of precipitation in the mountains. In the North-East and South-East there are trade winds that carry low pressure. 

There are differences in the wind based on time of day and location of valleys and mountains. Lower valleys are associated with lower and weaker wind patterns. “In real valley atmospheres, the mechanisms driving alongand cross-valley winds together lead to a three-dimensional valley circulation: during the daytime, the air flows up the slopes and valleys and from the plain into the valley. The daytime cross-valley circulation consists of up-slope winds in the near-surface layer and subsidence in the valley atmosphere away from the slopes.” (EGU) 

• https://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_Weather_EN/SEM7XXJTYRF_0.html

• https://acp.copernicus.org/articles/23/821/2023/acp-23-821-2023.pdf

Air Masses:

Time of Influence: Mainly during the winter months, from November to February.

Influence: In winter, cold and dry air masses from the polar regions move southward. These polar continental air masses can affect the northern slopes of the Himalayas, bringing colder temperatures and contributing to winter conditions, including snowfall.

https://www.esa.int/SPECIALS/Eduspace_Weather_EN/SEM7XXJTYRF_0.html 

Weather Systems: (Monsoon)

In the time of June through September, the Himalayas have a distinct monsoon season that is characterized by heavy rains on the southern slopes. The Indian Ocean is the source of this southwest monsoon, which delivers the region essential precipitation during the day. Warm, humid air rises up the lower slopes where it cools, condenses, and produces strong rains that feed agriculture and encourage luxuriant flora. With the possibility of flooding and landslides, this season does provide difficulties. The complicated interaction of geographic characteristics and atmospheric conditions in the Himalayas during the monsoon contributes to the region's ecological dynamics and emphasizes the delicate balance between the advantages and threats connected with this seasonal phenomena.

“Rainfall patterns in the Indian sub-continent are changing, partly due to climate change. The chance of extreme precipitation has increased significantly in the past few decades, recent research shows.” -Soumya Sarkar

Rainfall extremes are increasing “almost everywhere, with maximum increase in the Western Ghats [a mountain range in southwest India],” said Rajib Maity, an associate professor at IITK and co-author of the study, which was published in April. “The Himalayan foothills also distinctly exhibit an increase.”

Source: https://www.thethirdpole.net/en/climate/studies-show-rise-in-extreme-rain-and-flash-floods-in-himalayas/ 

Temperature and Precipitation:

Precipitation:

• "The Great Himalaya Range obstructs the passage of cold continental air from the north into India in winter and also forces the southwesterly monsoon (rain-bearing) winds to give up most of their moisture before crossing the range northward. The result is heavy precipitation (both rain and snow) on the Indian side but arid conditions in Tibet."

• "The average annual rainfall on the south slopes varies between 60 inches (1,530 mm) at Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, and Mussoorie, Uttarakhand, in the western Himalayas and 120 inches (3,050 mm) at Darjiling, West Bengal state, in the eastern Himalayas."

• "North of the Great Himalayas, at places such as Skardu, Gilgit, and Leh in the Ladakh portion of the Indus valley, only 3 to 6 inches (75 to 150 mm) of precipitation occur."

• "There are two periods of precipitation: the moderate amounts brought by winter storms and the heavier precipitation of summer, with its southwesterly monsoon winds."

• https://www.britannica.com/place/Himalayas/Climate

Temperature: 

• "The eastern Himalayas, which are at a lower latitude than the western Himalayas, are relatively warmer. The average minimum temperature for the month of May, recorded in Darjiling at an elevation of 6,380 feet (1,945 meters), is 52 °F (11 °C). In the same month, at an elevation of 16,500 feet (5,000 meters) in the neighborhood of Mount Everest, the minimum temperature is about 17 °F (−8 °C); at 19,500 feet (6,000 meters) it falls to −8 °F (−22 °C)."

• "During the winter, low-pressure weather systems advance into the Himalayas from the west and cause heavy snowfall."

Climate Type and Characteristics:

https://www.britannica.com/place/Himalayas/Climate

Climate Type: The Himalayas have a diverse climate type that is influenced by their location and topography. They act as a climatic divide affecting air and water circulation, and they obstruct the passage of cold continental air from the north and affect the southwesterly monsoon winds. This results in heavy precipitation (both rain and snow) on the Indian side but arid conditions in Tibet.

Characteristics of the Climate: The characteristics of the Himalayan climate include significant variations in precipitation, with the south slopes receiving varying amounts of rainfall (ranging from 60 inches to 120 inches), and the northern regions such as Ladakh experiencing much lower precipitation (3 to 6 inches). Local relief and location within the Himalayas also lead to climatic variations, with some areas receiving more precipitation than others. The eastern Himalayas are relatively warmer, with lower elevations in May having minimum temperatures around 52 °F, while higher elevations can experience much colder temperatures.