Snowfall in Auli 2026 27 Season Dates and Complete Snow Guide

Quick answer: Snowfall in Auli usually begins in late December and peaks in January, but December snow is not guaranteed. In two of the last five winters, the first real snow came only in late January. The surest way to walk through Auli's snow is the Kuari Pass Trek, which ends in Auli.

By Manish Barakoti, Himalaya Shelter. Himalaya Shelter is a Dehradun-based trekking company that runs the Kuari Pass Trek through Gorson Bugyal to Auli every winter. Last updated: 3 November 2026.

Auli is Uttarakhand's best-known snow destination, a high meadow and ski centre above Joshimath in Chamoli district. Every winter, thousands of travellers search for the same things: when the snowfall in Auli starts, whether it will snow in December, and whether there is snow on the ground right now. This guide answers those questions with dated records, not guesses.

One thing makes this page different from most Auli guides. We run treks in these mountains every winter, and we would rather tell you the honest position than promise you snow. Auli's snow season is real, but it is shorter and less predictable than the brochures suggest. Below you will find the actual first-snow dates of the last five winters, the real status of the ropeway, official ski course prices, and the one route that lets you walk into Auli through its snowiest ground.

The Garhwal Himalaya in winter, seen from the Kuari Pass route

As of 3 November 2026, no snowfall has been reported in Auli this season. Snow has so far fallen only at higher shrines such as Kedarnath and Badrinath. Auli's season normally opens in late December. Check the India Meteorological Department forecast and recent local reports again on the day you travel.

This is the most searched question in the whole Auli cluster, and it deserves a straight answer. Searches like "snowfall in Auli today", "is there snowfall in Auli right now" and "auli snowfall live" rise sharply from November onwards, because people want to plan around real snow, not last year's photographs.

The honest position on 3 November 2026 is this: Auli is still waiting for its first snow of the 2026-27 season. News reports up to today record the season's first snowfalls at higher places, Yamunotri on 25 October 2026, Kedarnath on 29 October 2026 and Badrinath on the night of 1-2 November 2026, but no report yet names Auli itself. That is normal for early November. In each of the last five winters, Auli's first snow arrived between early December and the end of January.

How to check on your own travel day:

• Look at the India Meteorological Department's forecast for Chamoli district and the Western Himalayan region, which flags approaching western disturbances, the weather systems that bring Auli its snow.
• Check recent dated news and local updates rather than undated "live" pages. A snowfall claim without a date is usually an old photograph.
• Read our snowfall in Uttarakhand guide, which tracks the season across the state and is updated as the winter develops.
• If you are booked on a trek, ask your operator the same morning. Conditions at 2,800 m change faster than any website.

Auli's snowfall season runs from late December to early March. The first snow usually falls in late December, January is the snowiest and most reliable month, and old snow stays on the upper slopes into early March. Uttarakhand Tourism describes December to March as the peak snow period, with January to March best for skiing.

Auli town stands at about 2,800 m (9,200 ft), and its ski slopes run from about 3,049 m down to 2,915 m. That height is why Auli holds snow when lower resorts have lost it. Snowfall here depends on western disturbances, moist winds that arrive from the northwest through winter. A strong disturbance can lay down a deep covering in two days; a weak winter can leave the slopes brown for weeks, as the record further down this page shows.

The season breaks down like this:

• First snow: usually late December, though one recent winter kept Auli waiting until 31 January.
• Peak snow: January, when snow cover is most consistent and the ski season is in full swing.
• Best window overall: late December to mid February, balancing snow cover against slightly milder days.
• How long snow stays: the main slopes keep snow until early March, and shaded patches on the upper slopes can survive into March before melting away by early April.

For the wider picture of the town, its meadows and its seasons, see our general Auli guide. For month-by-month temperatures on the trek route above Auli, our Kuari Pass temperature and weather guide goes into more detail.

December is a gamble: Auli saw early December snow in 2021 and 2024, but no snow at all in December 2023 or December 2025. January is the dependable month, with the deepest snow and the ski courses running. February keeps good snow on the upper slopes, with slightly longer, clearer days.

December: possible, never promised

December is when the searches explode, "auli in december" is one of the biggest queries in this cluster, but the record is mixed. The 2021-22 winter opened on 6 December. The 2024-25 winter brought its first fall around 8-9 December and its first major snowfall on 12 December. Against that, December 2023 passed with no snow, and December 2025 was Uttarakhand's driest December in a decade, with Auli's slopes dry and dusty at Christmas. If you come in December, come for the mountains and treat snow as a bonus until the season proves itself.

January: the reliable snow month

January is when Auli is most itself. Snow cover is at its deepest and most consistent, the ski slopes are fully in use, and the national-level winter events are scheduled in this window. It is also the coldest month, and the month when heavy spells can briefly close the mountain roads, as happened on 23 January 2026. If seeing snow in Auli is the whole point of your trip, January is your month.

February: snow with better light

February keeps deep snow on the slopes and at Gorson Bugyal, with somewhat longer days. In 2026 the national skiing championships were held at Auli from 13 to 16 February. By late February the season is winding down, and north-facing and upper slopes hold their snow longest.

How cold does it get?

There are no published IMD climate normals for Auli or Joshimath, so no single official temperature table exists. Long-term climate averages from Climate-Data.org (1991-2021) give the following picture, and other systematic sources run a few degrees colder, so treat these as a range rather than a promise:

Wind on the open slopes makes it feel colder than the thermometer says, especially on the upper chairlift-served slopes and at Gorson Bugyal. The packing section below covers what this means in practice.

News records of the last five winters tell a clear story. Twice the season opened in early December, once in late December, and twice Auli waited until late January for its first real snowfall. January, not December, is the month the recent record supports. Anyone who guarantees you December snow is guessing.

The detail behind the table matters. In the 2023-24 winter, December and most of January stayed dry across the Uttarakhand hills, and Auli's first snowfall arrived only on 31 January 2024, nearly two months late, followed by heavy snow on 1 February. The 2025-26 winter was similar: December 2025 brought virtually no snow or rain to the state, television reports on 24 December 2025 showed Auli's slopes dry and dusty, and a Hindustan Times report on 22 January 2026 still described an unusually snowless Auli. The first real snowfall came on the evening of 23 January 2026.

The same pattern shows in the ski calendar. The national championship at Auli was cancelled in February 2023 for inadequate snow. The 2025 championship, scheduled for 29 January to 2 February, was postponed twice for the same reason. In 2026 the championships did go ahead, on 13 to 16 February, on a slope that organisers had to prepare hard because natural snow was scarce. This is the reality behind the phrase "best time to visit Auli for snowfall": plan for January or February, and you are planning with the record, not against it.

The deepest snow sits on the ski slopes and at Gorson Bugyal, the meadow a short trek above Auli. The artificial lake area, Chattrakund and Kwani Bugyal also hold snow in a good season. From the top of the slopes the view takes in Nanda Devi, Kamet and Dronagiri across a white amphitheatre.

The ski slopes

Auli's maintained slopes descend from about 3,049 m to 2,915 m, with roughly 5 km of skiable expanse and cross-country runs of 10 to 20 km, according to GMVN. When snow is thin, snow guns fed by the artificial lake prepare the main slope. This is where beginners take lessons and where the championships run.

Gorson Bugyal

The classic Auli walk climbs from the top of the slopes into Gorson Bugyal, a rolling alpine meadow that holds snow long after the town-level snow has melted. Published figures for the meadow differ: guidebooks place it roughly 3 km from Auli, and its height is given as anything from about 3,050 m to 3,519 m depending on the source, so treat any single figure with care. What is not in doubt is the view: Nanda Devi (7,817 m), Kamet (7,756 m) and Dronagiri (7,066 m) fill the horizon. Gorson is also the high point of the walk into Auli on the Kuari Pass route described below.

Crossing the snow meadows on the Kuari Pass route to Auli

The artificial lake and other spots

Beside the slopes sits Auli's artificial lake, built by the state to store water for the snow-making machines in low-snow winters; in a good season its banks are a quiet snowfield. Chattrakund, about 4 km away, is a small high lake reached by a forest walk. Kwani Bugyal, around 12 km out, is a summer meadow that lies deep in snow mid-season, and Tali Lake sits on the Kuari Pass trail between Khullara and Auli. None of these needs a ticket or a tour; they need snow, which brings you back to timing.

Auli's ski season runs from December into March, and GMVN's official course batches ran from 8 January to 31 March in 2026. Official 2025-26 course fees for Indian adults start at Rs 4,800 for three days without lodging. The 800 m chairlift on the slopes is running; the big ropeway is not.

GMVN, the state tourism corporation that runs the Auli ski resort, offers three courses each season: a 3-day non-certificate course, a 7-day non-certificate course and a 14-day certificate course. Fees below are GMVN's official 2025-26 prices for Indian adults, inclusive of GST, and they cover ski equipment, lift charges and training; the higher figure in each pair adds dormitory lodging and meals.

Day visitors can hire equipment instead: GMVN's 2025-26 rates were Rs 800 a day for alpine skis, Rs 400 for a ski lesson, Rs 1,200 for a snowboard and Rs 200 for goggles. Auli's slopes carry real pedigree: the skiing events of the first South Asian Winter Games were held here in January 2011, the competition slopes are homologated by the International Ski Federation, and national winter championships returned in 2022 and again in February 2026. One clarification worth making: the Khelo India Winter Games are held in Gulmarg, not Auli; Auli's events are the national skiing and snowboard championships and winter carnival.

Auli under snow, with its artificial lake below the ski slopes

The Joshimath to Auli ropeway has been closed since 5 January 2023 and has not reopened; there is no announced reopening date, and a replacement is still at the project-report stage. In 2026 you reach Auli by road from Joshimath. The separate chairlift on the ski slopes is running in season.

Many websites still describe the ropeway as if it were running, and one of the most common questions in this cluster is "Is Auli Ropeway open now?" It is not. The 4.15 km ropeway, once the longest in this part of the Himalaya, was suspended on 5 January 2023 after cracks appeared near its first tower during the Joshimath land-subsidence crisis. A Press Trust of India report in April 2025 confirmed it remained suspended for safety reasons, and October 2026 updates say the same. A new ropeway is planned on a fresh alignment, but as of late 2025 it was still at the detailed project report and tendering stage; press reports differ on its estimated cost, and no construction has begun. Before it closed, a round trip cost Rs 1,000 per person; that price is history, not a current fare.

Do not confuse the ropeway with the chairlift. The chairlift is a separate 800 m lift on the slopes themselves, linking the lower and upper ski areas, and it runs through the season, weather permitting. Recent reports put a return ticket at about Rs 500; older listings show Rs 300, so check the current board at the base station.

Reaching Auli by road

Every Auli trip now runs through Joshimath. From Joshimath, a mountain road climbs to Auli; published distances for this short leg differ, from 13 to 16 km, and the drive takes under an hour in clear weather. The longer approaches:

The nearest railway stations are Rishikesh, roughly 250 km away, and Haridwar, the nearest major railhead, at roughly 273 km. The nearest airport is Jolly Grant in Dehradun, about 280 km from Auli. Most travellers break the journey at Rishikesh or Joshimath rather than attempting the full drive in one day, and in the snow season that break is worth even more.

After heavy snowfall the Joshimath to Auli road can close for some hours while vehicles skid and clearance crews work; on 23 January 2026 it closed and reopened the same day, with tourist movement resuming in 4x4 vehicles. Joshimath itself remains open to travellers, and tourism through the town is normal in 2026.

Two honest cautions belong in any Auli plan. First, snow days disrupt roads. When the season's first heavy snowfall arrived on 23 January 2026, the Chamoli superintendent of police reported the Joshimath-Auli road closed after vehicles began skidding; it was restored the same day and tourists moved up by 4x4. Build a buffer into a January or February trip, start the hill leg early in the day, and listen to the local administration over any itinerary, including ours.

Second, Joshimath's land subsidence is real but should be understood in proportion. In January 2023 cracks appeared across the town, it was declared a landslide-subsidence zone on 8 January 2023, and hundreds of houses were damaged and families evacuated. That crisis is why the ropeway stopped. It has not stopped travel: the road through Joshimath is the standard route to Auli and Badrinath, tourism is running, monitored residential zones are the affected pockets, and Auli hosted the national ski championships in February 2026. No permit is needed for Auli itself; the Kuari Pass Trek uses a forest permit arranged in Joshimath.

The Kuari Pass Trek is the one journey that ends in Auli itself. Over six days from Dehradun it crosses Kuari Pass at 12,532 ft and descends through Gorson Bugyal into Auli, so your Auli snow experience is earned on foot, across the very meadows where the snow lies deepest.

Most people see Auli from a hotel window or a chairlift. The Kuari Pass route gives you the same snowfields from inside them. The trek starts at Dhak village near Joshimath, climbs through Guling and Khullara, crosses Kuari Pass at 12,532 ft (3,820 m), and then walks the high traverse past Tali and over Gorson Bugyal before descending into Auli. In the snow months, December to February is the trek's stated best snow window, and the high meadows are where the season's snow settles first and leaves last.

The facts, from our trek page: six days from Dehradun, about 28 km on foot over four trekking days, graded moderate, with the pass at 12,532 ft. From Kuari Pass the panorama takes in Nanda Devi, Dunagiri (Dronagiri), Kamet, Chaukhamba and Trishul. The trek fee is Rs 17,999 per person plus 5% GST. Because the route ends in Auli, you can add a ski day or a chairlift ride at the finish, with the ropeway, as established above, still closed.

Trekkers on the Kuari Pass ridge in winter

January nights in Auli run well below freezing, and the wind on the upper slopes cuts through ordinary winter clothing. Pack for standing still in snow, not just walking in it:

• Two sets of thermals, a warm fleece or woollen mid layer, and a padded or down jacket with a windproof, waterproof outer shell.
• Waterproof trekking shoes with deep grip; in deep snow you will also want gaiters and, for the high trails, microspikes.
• A woollen cap, a buff or balaclava, warm gloves with a thin inner pair, and two or three pairs of woollen socks.
• Sunglasses and sunscreen. Snow glare at this height burns skin and eyes faster than most people expect.
• A head torch and an insulated water bottle; ordinary bottles can freeze overnight in January.

Our essential clothing guide for Himalayan winter treks covers layering in full, and it applies to a Kuari Pass crossing just as much as to a ski holiday.

For skiing and deep, high-altitude snow, Auli is Uttarakhand's strongest option; published comparisons rate its snowfall heavier and more consistent than Chopta's. For a gentler first snow trip, places at lower altitude are easier to reach, but their snow is thinner and melts faster. Match the place to the month, not the photograph.

Auli's advantage is height and infrastructure: maintained slopes, a chairlift, GMVN courses and snow-making for thin spells. Its costs are the long mountain drive and a ropeway that no longer shortens it. If you want a temple town under snow with a summit climb, our Chopta Chandrashila Tungnath Trek is the Garhwal alternative, though Chopta's own snow record is even more January-dependent. If deep forest snow and a classic snow-trek trail matter more than skiing, the Kedarkantha Trek is the state's most popular winter walk. And if you are touring the Kumaon side, our guide to snowfall in Nainital gives that town the same honest treatment, dates included.

If this guide has done its job, you know two things: Auli's snow is worth the trip, and its timing deserves respect. The most reliable way to be in Auli's snowfields in the heart of the season is to walk in on the Kuari Pass Trek: six days from Dehradun, about 28 km on foot, a 12,532 ft pass, and a descent through Gorson Bugyal that finishes in Auli itself, at Rs 17,999 per person plus 5% GST. Winter batches run through the snow months, and if the season opens late, we will tell you that before you book, not after.

Talk to us while you plan. Call +91 94583 86006 for current snow conditions on the route, batch dates and honest advice on whether your dates sit in the reliable window. If you are building a longer Uttarakhand winter trip, our list of places to visit in Uttarakhand in December is a good place to start, and this page will be updated as soon as the first snowfall in Auli of the 2026-27 season is reported.

Does Auli have snowfall now?

As of 3 November 2026, no snowfall has been reported in Auli this season. The season normally opens in late December; check the IMD forecast and dated local reports close to your travel day for the live position.

What is the best time to visit Auli for snowfall?

January is the most reliable month, and late December to mid February is the best overall window. December snow is possible but not guaranteed: two of the last five winters saw no real snow until late January.

Can I see snow in Auli without fresh snowfall?

Often, yes, between January and early March, because old snow stays on the upper slopes and at Gorson Bugyal for weeks after it falls. In a dry spell or early in the season, though, the ground can be bare, and the artificial slope is then prepared with snow guns.

Does Auli have snow for 12 months?

No. Auli's snow season runs from late December to early March, patches may survive into March, and the meadows are green for the rest of the year.

Is the Auli ropeway open now?

No. The Joshimath to Auli ropeway has been suspended since 5 January 2023 after cracks appeared near a tower during the Joshimath subsidence crisis, and no reopening date has been announced. Auli is reached by road; the separate chairlift on the slopes is running.

Is it better to stay in Auli or Joshimath?

Stay in Auli if snow outside your window is the point of the trip. Joshimath, at the foot of the climb, has more hotels and transport connections and works as a base if you are passing through or the Auli road is disrupted by snow.

Can we go to Auli by road?

Yes, road is now the only way. The drive from Rishikesh to Auli is roughly 250 km, and the last 13 to 16 km climb from Joshimath up to Auli. After heavy snow that last leg can close for a few hours until it is cleared.

Which city is closest to Auli?

Joshimath is the closest town, 13 to 16 km below Auli and the base for the climb. The nearest railway stations are Rishikesh and Haridwar, and the nearest airport is Jolly Grant, Dehradun.

Is Auli costly?

It depends on how you go. GMVN ski courses start at Rs 4,800 for three days without lodging, and equipment hire starts at a few hundred rupees a day. Private hotels in peak snow season are the biggest cost; a guided trek that ends in Auli, such as Kuari Pass at Rs 17,999 plus GST, bundles transport, stays and meals into one price.

Is 2 days enough for Auli?

Two days in Auli itself is enough for the slopes, the chairlift and a walk to Gorson Bugyal, but not much more. Count the travel honestly: Auli is 9 to 10 hours by road from Dehradun, so a 2-day stay usually means a 4-day trip.