Dehradun in Winter (Nov–Feb): Weather, Snow, Packing

Dehradun winter weather, November to February

These are India Meteorological Department (IMD) averages for Dehradun, from its 1991–2020 climate normals. They describe a typical month, not the week you’re coming.

Month	Average high	Average low	Rainfall	Rainy days	Fog days
November	25.5 °C	11.4 °C	5.2 mm	0.4	0.1
December	21.7 °C	7.6 °C	13.0 mm	1.1	0.9
January	19.7 °C	6.6 °C	43.5 mm	2.8	1.7
February	22.5 °C	9.2 °C	57.9 mm	3.8	0.2

IMD’s Dehradun office counts December to February as the city’s winter. Most days are not bitterly cold, but on a few nights the temperature can fall to 1–2 °C. The lowest ever recorded here is −1.1 °C.

Dehradun in November

November is the driest month of the year. Afternoons are still warm, around 25 °C, and nights fall to about 11 °C. Fog is almost unheard of. It’s the easiest winter month to be out all day.

Dehradun in December

December cools steadily. Highs drop from about 23 °C at the start of the month to about 19 °C by the end, and lows from about 8 °C to about 6 °C. It rarely rains: about one rainy day in the month. Expect misty mornings, sometimes frost, and bright afternoons. These are the shortest days of the year, with the sun setting around 5:20 pm.

Dehradun in January

January is the coldest month. Highs stay around 19 °C and lows around 6 °C for most of it. It’s also wetter than December. Winter rain here comes with western disturbances, weather systems that move in from the west, and the rain builds as the season goes on. A grey, foggy day can stay much colder: in an average January there are about three “cold days”, when the high is 16 °C or less.

Dehradun in February

February warms through the month, and highs reach about 25 °C by the end. It’s the wettest of the four months, with about 58 mm over four rainy days. By late February, IMD puts the chance of rain on any given day at about 30%.

What to pack

You’re packing for two climates: mild afternoons in the valley, and real cold if you go up to the hills.

Layers for Dehradun. A light sweater for sunny afternoons, and a warm jacket for evenings and early mornings. The coldest hour is usually around 7 am.
Proper cold-weather clothes for the hills. IMD’s long-term averages put Mussoorie at about 10 °C by day and under 3 °C at night in January. Bring thermals, a heavy jacket, a woollen cap, gloves and warm socks.
Shoes with grip, and a spare pair of socks. After snow, roads and paths get slippery.
Sunglasses and sunscreen. Winter days here are mostly bright, and snow adds glare.
For the car, if you’re driving up for snow: a full tank, water, snacks and a charged phone, in case the road is slow.

If you want to know exactly what’s in the rooms before you pack, ask us on WhatsApp.

Best time to visit Dehradun for snowfall

Snow isn’t something to plan for in Dehradun itself. It falls on the hills above the valley, and December to February is the time to try for it.

It isn’t guaranteed, and the timing moves a lot from year to year. In recent winters:

Mid-January 2023: Mussoorie and Dhanaulti got their first snow of the season.
Early February 2024: snow in Mussoorie, with roads blocked in places around Dhanaulti.
9 December 2024: light snow and hail in Mussoorie, and heavier snow on the high ground around Chakrata. By February 2025 the local paper was writing about how little snow Mussoorie had seen that winter.
23 January 2026: the first snow of the year reached Mussoorie, Dhanaulti and Chakrata.

A useful rule: snow comes with the winter rain. When a western disturbance brings rain to the valley, the hills can get snow at the same time. In January 2023, for example, the peaks had light to moderate snow while lower areas had light rain. So if the forecast shows rain and a cold spell in Dehradun, keep the next day free.

Mussoorie snowfall

Mussoorie sits at about 2,000 m. The Dehradun district administration puts it 38 km from the city, up a winding hill road. Uttarakhand Tourism suggests winter if you want to see snowfall there. After the snow in February 2024, people headed for Lal Tibba, Gun Hill, George Everest Estate and Suwakholi, and the local paper expected the weekend to bring many more visitors.

Since August 2025, visitors to Mussoorie have been asked to register online before they arrive. Check whether that still applies, and how, before you go. If you’re still deciding where to base yourselves, we’ve compared the two in Dehradun or Mussoorie.

Dhanaulti

Dhanaulti is higher, at about 2,250 m, and 24 km beyond Mussoorie on the road to Chamba. Uttarakhand Tourism describes the town as blanketed in snow in winter. Roads around Dhanaulti can block after snow, as they did in many places in February 2024.

Chakrata

Chakrata is a separate trip. The district administration’s own page gives the distance from Dehradun as both 87 km and 98 km, so plan for roughly 90–100 km each way. The town sits at 2,118 m. In December 2024 the heavy snow was on the high ground around it, at Lokhandi, Koti Kanasar and Deoban. It’s a long day, so start early. Chakrata is a military cantonment and foreign nationals face restrictions on visiting, so check first if anyone in your group isn’t an Indian citizen.

Before you drive up: check the roads

Look at the district forecasts and warnings from IMD’s Dehradun centre the evening before and again in the morning.
Roads here can close at short notice. After snow in February 2024 the administration was out clearing roads with JCBs, and in July 2026 it closed the Dehradun–Mussoorie road near Kolhukhet after part of it sank in the monsoon rain.
Over Christmas and New Year, read the Dehradun Police traffic plan first (more on that below).
Go up early, aim to be back down before dark, and keep the day loose. Weekdays are calmer than weekends after a snowfall.

If you’re staying with us, you can also ask us on WhatsApp.

Christmas and New Year in Dehradun

This winter both fall on a Friday. Christmas is Friday 25 December 2026 and New Year’s Day is Friday 1 January 2027, so expect two busy weekends in a row. IMD’s own climate report for Dehradun notes that New Year draws people here hoping for snow in Mussoorie. Expect crowds up there and heavy traffic on the road, especially around New Year’s Eve, and fix your dates early, wherever you stay.

Last December’s Dehradun Police plan set fixed routes to and from Mussoorie, made busy roads in Mussoorie one-way, and diverted traffic away from Library Chowk, Picture Palace and Kulri Bazaar when needed. It barred heavy vehicles from city roads at peak hours from 30 December to 1 January. Once Mussoorie’s parking was 70% full, cars were to be parked at King Craig, with taxis or shuttles for the rest of the way. Look for this year’s plan closer to the date, and read it before you travel.

Fog and early dark: notes for drivers

From mid-December to the end of January, the sun rises after 7 am and sets between about 5:20 pm and 5:55 pm. Plan to be off the hill roads by sunset.

Fog in Dehradun is a few-mornings-a-winter thing: about one day in December and two in January on IMD’s averages. When it comes, it’s usually at night and early in the morning, and it rarely lasts into the late morning. It tends to follow winter rain, when the night turns cold after a western disturbance, so the morning after rain is the one to watch.

If you’re driving up from Delhi, fog is mostly a plains problem. IMD’s averages for New Delhi’s Safdarjung observatory show about 19 days of fog in December and 22 in January. As IMD’s Dehradun report puts it, dense, prolonged fog in this season disrupts road, rail and air traffic. Leave after the fog lifts rather than before dawn. Check-in is from 2 pm, so an afternoon arrival gives you a few hours of daylight to spare. If the road is slow, message us on WhatsApp with your new arrival time.

Staying warm at Fyonli Nest

Fyonli Nest is our two-bedroom homestay in Dehradun. In the valley, winter days are mild, so what counts is the evenings and the early mornings. Here’s what we have for winter:

Heaters in winter.
A pahadi breakfast on request: mandua roti, aloo and seasonal fruit, ₹350 per guest per morning. Tell us the night before.
A full kitchen, if you’d rather cook.
A courtyard that catches the morning sun, and parking in the courtyard, so the car is ready for a snow day.
Fast Wi-Fi and a desk for work. If you’re thinking of staying through the winter, see long stays.
We live ten minutes away and meet you at the gate.

The green room, with a king bed and a green upholstered headboard — The green room at Fyonli Nest.

There are two bedrooms, the green room and the red room, each with a king bed. It sleeps 4 adults, or up to 6 guests with children aged 2–12. Send us your dates and we’ll confirm availability on WhatsApp. There’s no payment until we do, and cancellation is free until 7 days before arrival. See the rooms and send a request, or ask us about the heaters and anything else you want to know about winter in the house.

Sources: IMD Meteorological Centre Dehradun: climatological table, Dehradun 1991–2020; IMD climatological table, Dehradun (1991–2020); IMD climatological table, New Delhi Safdarjung (1991–2020); IMD: Climate of Dehra Dun; IMD Meteorological Centre Dehradun: forecasts and warnings; Mussoorie climate (IMD normals, 1971–2000); Uttarakhand Tourism: Mussoorie; Uttarakhand Tourism: Dhanaulti; District Dehradun: Mussoorie; District Dehradun: Chakrata; District Tehri: Dhanaulti; Chakrata, Wikipedia; Uttarakhand News Network (2023): first snow in Mussoorie and Dhanaulti; Garhwal Post (2024): snowfall in Mussoorie; ETV Bharat (2024): December snowfall; Garhwal Post (2025): deficit snowfall; ThePrint (2026): first snowfall of 2026; Garhwal Post (2026): Doon–Mussoorie road closed; Pioneer Edge (2025): Christmas and New Year traffic plan; Daily Jagran (2025): Mussoorie routes and parking; Outlook Traveller (2025): Mussoorie registration; Sunrise-Sunset.org: Dehradun sunrise and sunset.