December is one of the cooler months of the year in Kargil, with average highs near 0.6°C and lows around -22.9°C (mean -11.1°C). It is one of the drier months, averaging 18 mm of rainfall and 58% relative humidity across the period.
December is one of the cooler months of the year in Kargil. Across 45 years of records, the warmest December in Kargil was 2016 — when the month averaged -4.8°C — while the coldest was 2019 at -18.8°C. Typical December days reach 0.6°C with nights near -22.9°C. The long-term December temperature trend is broadly flat.
Ranked against the other 11 months using 1981–2025 averages.
| Metric | 1980s | 1990s | 2000s | 2010s | 2020s | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg Temp | -11.6°C | -10.7°C | -11.2°C | -10.9°C | -11.4°C | +0.2°C |
| Avg High | 0.3°C | 0.6°C | 0.1°C | 1.5°C | 0.6°C | +0.3°C |
| Avg Low | -23.7°C | -21.8°C | -22.6°C | -23.4°C | -23.3°C | +0.4°C |
| Avg Rain | 28 mm | 12 mm | 16 mm | 20 mm | 16 mm | -12 mm |
December temperatures in Kargil have risen by about 1.5°C between 1981–1985 and 2021–2025.
December has ranged from a record low of -34.7°C (1986) to a record high of 6.6°C (2011).
Rainfall in December is one of the drier months, averaging 18 mm, with a wettest year of 86 mm.
Daytime highs and overnight lows have shifted differently — highs rose about 0.2°C per decade while lows fell 0.2°C per decade, widening the gap between day and night.
A quieter season to visit Kargil
If your dates are flexible, the more temperate months of July and August tend to be the most comfortable for visiting Kargil. That said, December — with days averaging 0.6°C and nights around -22.9°C (mean -11.1°C) and low rainfall (18 mm) — can still be rewarding for travellers who don't mind the cooler conditions, and often means fewer crowds.
| Year | High | Low | Avg | Rainfall | Humidity | Wind | Solar |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.6°C | -17.7°C | -7.1°C | 7 mm | 51% | 1.5 m/s | — |
| 2024 | 0.8°C | -27.0°C | -13.1°C | 26 mm | 49% | 1.6 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2023 | 0.9°C | -18.0°C | -8.5°C | 3 mm | 53% | 1.3 m/s | 3.5 |
| 2022 | -0.7°C | -21.8°C | -11.3°C | 11 mm | 64% | 1.5 m/s | 3.3 |
| 2021 | 1.6°C | -22.5°C | -10.5°C | 16 mm | 58% | 1.3 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2020 | -2.4°C | -33.1°C | -17.7°C | 34 mm | 80% | 1.6 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2019 ❄️ | -4.8°C | -32.9°C | -18.8°C | 50 mm | 83% | 1.6 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2018 | -2.5°C | -27.1°C | -14.8°C | 15 mm | 67% | 1.4 m/s | 2.8 |
| 2017 | 3.5°C | -27.1°C | -11.8°C | 29 mm | 66% | 1.8 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2016 🔥 | 6.0°C | -15.5°C | -4.8°C | 2 mm | 37% | 1.7 m/s | 3 |
| 2015 | 2.6°C | -28.6°C | -13.0°C | 28 mm | 71% | 1.5 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2014 | 1.5°C | -17.6°C | -8.0°C | 0 mm | 48% | 1.5 m/s | 2.6 |
| 2013 | 2.4°C | -20.4°C | -9.0°C | 20 mm | 53% | 1.6 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2012 | -0.1°C | -21.9°C | -11.0°C | 20 mm | 57% | 1.5 m/s | 2.1 |
| 2011 | 6.6°C | -23.0°C | -8.2°C | 17 mm | 54% | 1.7 m/s | 3.1 |
| 2010 | -0.1°C | -19.7°C | -9.9°C | 24 mm | 43% | 1.3 m/s | 3 |
| 2009 | 0.2°C | -20.7°C | -10.2°C | 10 mm | 56% | 1.5 m/s | 2 |
| 2008 | -1.1°C | -27.7°C | -14.4°C | 32 mm | 76% | 1.4 m/s | 2.2 |
| 2007 | -1.5°C | -21.6°C | -11.5°C | 4 mm | 47% | 1.8 m/s | 2.4 |
| 2006 | -1.8°C | -28.2°C | -15.0°C | 30 mm | 70% | 1.6 m/s | 1.8 |
| 2005 | -1.0°C | -19.9°C | -10.4°C | 0 mm | 41% | 1.3 m/s | 2.9 |
| 2004 | 2.0°C | -19.7°C | -8.9°C | 17 mm | 50% | 1.6 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2003 | 1.5°C | -30.2°C | -14.3°C | 38 mm | 73% | 1.5 m/s | 2.3 |
| 2002 | 1.0°C | -19.6°C | -9.3°C | 4 mm | 52% | 1.7 m/s | 2.5 |
| 2001 | -0.4°C | -18.3°C | -9.3°C | 9 mm | 57% | 1.6 m/s | 1.8 |
| 2000 | 1.8°C | -19.8°C | -9.0°C | 13 mm | 46% | 1.5 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1999 | 1.3°C | -16.4°C | -7.6°C | 0 mm | 34% | 1.3 m/s | 2.7 |
| 1998 | 3.1°C | -16.7°C | -6.8°C | 0 mm | 29% | 1.4 m/s | 2.8 |
| 1997 | -2.2°C | -20.9°C | -11.6°C | 7 mm | 57% | 1.5 m/s | 1.9 |
| 1996 | -0.6°C | -26.0°C | -13.3°C | 7 mm | 52% | 1.4 m/s | 2.9 |
| 1995 | -2.5°C | -26.6°C | -14.6°C | 15 mm | 74% | 1.6 m/s | 2.2 |
| 1994 | 1.6°C | -32.4°C | -15.4°C | 66 mm | 72% | 1.8 m/s | 2.7 |
| 1993 | 2.4°C | -17.5°C | -7.6°C | 0 mm | 44% | 1.6 m/s | 2.7 |
| 1992 | -0.3°C | -20.7°C | -10.5°C | 3 mm | 67% | 1.5 m/s | 2.5 |
| 1991 | 2.5°C | -22.7°C | -10.1°C | 13 mm | 63% | 1.6 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1990 | 0.3°C | -18.5°C | -9.1°C | 8 mm | 49% | 1.7 m/s | 2 |
| 1989 | 1.5°C | -26.1°C | -12.3°C | 27 mm | 62% | 1.3 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1988 | 3.8°C | -21.6°C | -8.9°C | 18 mm | 56% | 1.5 m/s | 2.1 |
| 1987 | 1.9°C | -16.5°C | -7.3°C | 3 mm | 42% | 1.7 m/s | 2.3 |
| 1986 🌧️ | -2.1°C | -34.7°C | -18.4°C | 86 mm | 84% | 1.4 m/s | 1.7 |
| 1985 | 2.7°C | -29.0°C | -13.1°C | 75 mm | 63% | 1.6 m/s | 2 |
| 1984 | 0.4°C | -21.2°C | -10.4°C | 6 mm | 62% | 2 m/s | 2.4 |
| 1983 | -0.4°C | -20.7°C | -10.5°C | 1 mm | 55% | 1.4 m/s | — |
| 1982 | -3.2°C | -24.4°C | -13.8°C | 32 mm | 70% | 1.6 m/s | — |
| 1981 | -1.5°C | -18.7°C | -10.1°C | 3 mm | 52% | 1.4 m/s | — |
Actual recorded December data for each year, 1981–2025 — sourced from NASA POWER.
The average high in December is around 0.6°C with lows near -22.9°C (mean -11.1°C), based on 45 years of NASA POWER data.
December averages 18 mm of rainfall in Kargil, one of the drier months. The wettest on record was 86 mm in 1986.
The hottest December reached 6.6°C in 2011. The coldest dipped to -34.7°C in 1986.
Comparing the earliest years on record (1981–1985) with the most recent (2021–2025), average December temperatures have risen by about 1.5°C. Daytime highs moved from -0.4°C to 1.2°C and overnight lows from -22.8°C to -21.4°C over the same span.
December is one of the cooler months of the year in Kargil and one of the drier months, so plan for around 0.6°C daytime highs and -22.9°C at night.
Not quite — December is the 3rd coolest month in Kargil, averaging -11.1°C.
For December in Kargil, pack warm layers and a jacket for chilly mornings, with typical highs of 0.6°C and lows of -22.9°C.
Relative humidity in December averages 58% — moderately humid.
Average wind speed in December is 1.5 m/s. The windiest December on record averaged 2 m/s (1984).
The wettest December on record was 1986 with 86 mm. On average, December sees 18 mm.
All figures are derived from NASA POWER (Prediction Of Worldwide Energy Resources), based on MERRA-2 satellite reanalysis, covering 1981–2025.
Explore how the weather in Kargil behaves each December, based on 45 years of NASA POWER climate data from 1981 to 2025. This page breaks down average temperatures, rainfall, humidity, wind and solar radiation for December specifically, along with year-by-year records and how the month has changed over the decades.
