Himachal October 4, 2026 8 min

Himachal Weather 6-10 October 2026: Rain and Snow Forecast

The monsoon has left Himachal, but IMD Shimla forecasts light to moderate rain and high-hill snow from 6 to 9 October 2026, with a thunderstorm watch in six districts. What it means for your trip.

Suzu Travels

Travel Expert at Suzu Travels

The monsoon has left Himachal Pradesh, but the first autumn weather system arrives this week. The India Meteorological Department’s Shimla centre, in its bulletin issued at 13:00 IST on Sunday 4 October 2026, forecasts light rain and snow at isolated places on 5 October, light to moderate rain and snow at a few places from 6 to 9 October, and isolated showers again on 10 October. It has also put out a thunderstorm, lightning and gusty-wind watch for six districts, including Kullu, Shimla and Kangra, from 6 October. Snow is expected only in the high hills. Manali, Shimla and Dharamshala should expect cloud, cooler days and some rain, not snow. Days get noticeably colder from around 7 October.

Here is what the forecast says district by district, what it means for trips in the next seven days, and what to watch if you are heading to Kashmir or Uttarakhand as well.

What changed: the monsoon withdrew on 3 October

The southwest monsoon withdrew from the whole of Himachal Pradesh on Saturday, 3 October 2026, The Tribune reported, citing the State Meteorological Centre. IMD’s all-India bulletin of 4 October now places the withdrawal line far to the east, through Supaul, Ranchi and Raipur. The state got 652.3 mm of rain between June and September against a normal of 734.4 mm, about 11% short. That makes it the 41st-lowest monsoon in Himachal’s 125-year record.

The weekend was dry and warm. On 4 October, IMD Shimla recorded maximum temperatures of 20–25°C in the high hills and 25–32°C in the mid hills. Night lows were 4–12°C up high and 12–20°C in the mid hills. The coldest stations were Kukumseri and Tabo at 4.4°C. That clear spell is part of why the Gandhi Jayanti long weekend brought the traffic jams in Manali and Shimla.

Himachal weather forecast, 5 to 10 October 2026

This is IMD Shimla’s seven-day outlook from Bulletin No. 277, issued 4 October 2026. “Few places” and “isolated places” are IMD’s own terms: think patchy, not state-wide.

Date	Low hills / plains	Mid hills (Shimla, Manali, Dharamshala belt)	High hills
Mon 5 Oct	Dry	Light rain, isolated places	Dry
Tue 6 Oct	Light to moderate rain, few places	Light to moderate rain, many places	Light rain/snow, isolated places
Wed 7 Oct	Light to moderate rain, few places	Light to moderate rain, few places	Light rain/snow, isolated places
Thu 8 Oct	Light to moderate rain, few places	Light to moderate rain, few places	Light rain/snow, few places
Fri 9 Oct	Light to moderate rain, few places	Light to moderate rain, few places	Light rain/snow, few places
Sat 10 Oct	Light rain, isolated places	Light to moderate rain, few places	Light rain/snow, isolated places

Temperatures: IMD expects little change for the first 48 hours. After that, over the following three to four days, minimum temperatures should drop 2–3°C and daytime highs 2–5°C across much of the state. Bring an extra warm layer for evenings from Wednesday onwards.

District-wise thunderstorm and gusty-wind watch

IMD Shimla’s district bulletin flags thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds at isolated places on these days:

6 October (winds 40–50 km/h): Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi and Shimla.
7 October (winds 30–40 km/h): Kangra, Kullu, Mandi and Shimla.
8 October (winds 30–40 km/h): Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi and Shimla.
No warning through 8 October: Una, Solan, Sirmaur, Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti.

IMD’s advice for these warnings is standard but worth following on a hill road: don’t shelter under trees, keep away from rivers and streams during a storm, and stay indoors while it passes. The risks it lists are falling branches, uprooted trees and loose objects blown about, which on mountain roads means short blockages more than anything dramatic.

What this means for your trip

If you are in Shimla, Manali or Dharamshala this week

Don’t cancel. This is a light-to-moderate spell, not a red alert. Plan it like this:

Drive in the morning. Mountain thunderstorms usually build in the afternoon. Aim to finish long transfers, like Chandigarh to Manali or Manali to Shimla, before about 2 pm on 6, 7 and 8 October.
Keep one flexible day. If your itinerary has a long sightseeing day on 6 October, Tuesday, the wettest-looking day for the mid hills, swap it with a lighter day later in the week.
Pack for 10°C, not 25°C. Last weekend was warm, but this week won’t be. A fleece and a rain shell are enough for the mid hills. Add proper woollens if you are going above about 3,000 m.

If you are chasing snow

Snow is forecast only for the high hills, at isolated to few places. It is not forecast for Manali town at about 2,050 m or for Shimla. Manali’s high points, such as the Atal Tunnel’s north portal side and Rohtang, sit well above 3,000 m. That height band is where early-October snow usually lands, but a light dusting there is not guaranteed and may not last. If snow is the whole point of your trip, our Himachal snowfall guide for winter 2026-27 explains when it reliably arrives.

Road status: we are not going to tell you whether Rohtang, Atal Tunnel, Kunzum or Baralacha will be open on a given morning, because nobody can promise that from a forecast. Even light high-altitude snow can bring a temporary closure or a 4×4-only advisory. On the day, check the Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti district administration and police updates and the Border Roads Organisation, and go by the Meteorological Centre, Shimla. If the authorities close a road, that settles it.

If you are going to Spiti or Lahaul

Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti have no thunderstorm warning through 8 October. The high-hill forecast still calls for light rain or snow at a few places on 8 and 9 October. Spiti already had its first snow of the season in late September. Our advice: go in through Kinnaur (Shimla–Reckong Peo–Kaza) rather than over Kunzum this week, and keep a buffer day before your exit. Our Spiti ground team re-checks the passes every morning during a spell like this before a vehicle leaves.

If you are planning for Kullu Dussehra or Diwali

This spell ends around 10 October. That is well before Kullu Dussehra, 21 to 27 October 2026, and Diwali on 8 November. IMD forecasts for those dates won’t be published until much nearer the time, so don’t read anything into this week. What does carry over is the colder air. Once a western disturbance passes, the hills usually stay crisper, so pack warmer for late October than you would have last week.

Kashmir, Uttarakhand and the plains this week

This is not just a Himachal system. IMD’s all-India bulletin of 4 October (20:45 IST) shows rain across most of the north-west:

Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh: isolated to scattered rain on 6–8 October and on 10 October, and fairly widespread to widespread rain on 9 October. The Srinagar Meteorological Centre’s own outlook, reported on 2 October, adds light snowfall over the higher reaches and asks farmers to finish the apple and paddy harvest before the wet spell. Gulmarg, Sonamarg and the higher passes are the places to watch on 9 and 10 October (see our Kashmir snow forecast for Gulmarg).
Uttarakhand: isolated to scattered rain from 5 to 10 October, with thunderstorms and gusty winds on 5–7 October, according to IMD’s all-India bulletin. If you are on the Char Dham circuit, see our note on the Char Dham closing dates for 2026 and follow the district administration’s yatra updates each day.
Delhi, Haryana, Punjab: isolated to scattered rain from 6 to 10 October, with thunderstorms on 7–9 October. Expect some slow stretches on the drive up from Delhi or Chandigarh.

How Suzu Travels is handling trips this week

In a spell like this, we time long transfers for the mornings on 6–8 October, re-check any high-pass day against the morning advisories, and swap Rohtang or Kunzum days for a lower-valley plan when the authorities advise against travel. If you are booking a Himachal tour package for the rest of October, this week’s spell barely changes the picture. October after the monsoon is still one of the clearest and best-value windows of the year. Just budget one flexible day for any trip that goes above 3,000 m.

Call or WhatsApp us on 7087488961 for a ground-level answer before you set out.

FAQ: Himachal weather this week

Will it snow in Manali this week?

Not in Manali town, on the current forecast. IMD Shimla’s bulletin of 4 October 2026 forecasts light snow only at isolated to few places in the high hills between 6 and 10 October. The mid hills, where Manali town sits, get rain. Higher points above 3,000 m may get a light dusting, but that is not guaranteed.

Is it safe to travel to Himachal from 6 to 9 October 2026?

For normal tourist circuits, yes, with sensible planning. The warnings are yellow-level “watch” alerts for isolated thunderstorms and gusty winds, not orange or red alerts. Drive in the mornings, avoid riversides during storms, and check district advisories before any high-pass day.

Has the monsoon ended in Himachal?

Yes. The southwest monsoon withdrew from the entire state on 3 October 2026, more than a week after its normal date of 25 September. This week’s rain comes from a western disturbance, a winter-type system. It is not the monsoon.

Is Rohtang Pass or Atal Tunnel open?

Check on the morning you travel. We don’t publish live road status, because a forecast can’t promise it. Check the Kullu or Lahaul-Spiti district administration and police, and the Border Roads Organisation, for the day’s advisory. Light high-altitude snow can bring short closures.

What should I pack for Himachal in October 2026?

For the mid hills, pack a warm fleece or light jacket, a rain shell and closed shoes. For anywhere above 3,000 m, or for Spiti and Lahaul, add thermals, gloves and a proper down or padded jacket. Night temperatures there are already close to freezing.