Nepal best spring trekking weather

Nepal best spring trekking weather lies ahead this spring in Nepal. From mid-March to May, the weather will be fairly consistent: clear mornings with occasional afternoon clouds. Warmth, thanks to intensifying sun rays, and rain (snow- depending on freezing levels), primarily from quick, convective storm cells, will frequent the forecast. Most of the high passes will be snow free. Visibility of Mt. Everest will be exceptional in April. In Nepal, the best spring trekking weather will be from late March through April.

Heading into May, mountain visibility will diminish. Haze will blur long distance scenic viewing and more clouds will litter the peaks. The Nepal Climate Observatory offers of Mt. Everest at 18,000 ft.

The weather around Everest Base Camp is somewhat dry, receiving only 18 inches of total precipitation (rain + the rain equivalent of snow.) This is because base camp lies within a mountain rain shadow, which means the geography of the region naturally inhibits the precipitation that would otherwise fall. The southern side of the mountains directly south of base camp takes the brunt of the weather that would otherwise disturb trekking. Everest Base Camp is also typically cool, which reduces the amount of moisture in the air and thus stymies precipitation totals. The amount that falls decreases with height due to mountain winds, which typically increase with height, scouring the landscape, hindering snow accumulations. Additionally, the amount of moisture available for precipitation decreases with height, reducing snowfall totals on the summit of Mt. Everest.

Most of Nepal’s precipitation falls during the monsoon season: June – September. Storms and cyclones heading northward from the Bay of Bengal are notorious for heavy precipitation and are an annual threat to monitor. This is why, in Nepal, the best spring trekking weather is typically earlier in the season.

Article written Meteorologist Geoff Linsley