The weather and temperature in the Everest region are always unpredictable. The weather and Everest Base Camp (EBC) are two sides of the same coin that are inseparable and always the conversation starter for many travelers who are looking to visit the base camp.
The Everest region can be very cold during December and January to almost -18C at the altitude of 5364m. So, only a few people dare to trek to EBC in these months though it is possible. Most people prefer to travel in autumn or spring for better weather. Being a local company that organizes EBC Trek, “What is the weather like at Everest Base Camp; what is the temperature at Everest Base camp;” etc. are the most frequently asked questions we’ve encountered. So, we have tried to provide you with some general information and break down the weather pattern of EBC Trek to give a clear picture of the Weather and the temperature every month of the year.
We have broken it down into four seasons spring, summer, autumn and winter as it is the most practical way to look at it. Here is a thorough look at the temperature and weather of every season and every month of the year.
Everest Weather in Spring
The spring seasons are March, April and May in Nepal and the weather slowly gets hotter in spring in Nepal and Everest Base Camp as well and the trekking season kicks in from March. The days are mostly clear with very little cloud and the temperature gets warmer day by day. Though the climate in cold January and February is pretty constant there is a sudden uptick in the rise of temperature after that to July. The average maximum temperature in the daytime in spring is about 15C and the minimum may drop to -14C. As far as wind is concerned March in EBC, is still one of the windiest of the 12 months but slowly decreases till August when again it starts picking up. The wind can reach up to 38 km/h this month.
Everest Weather in Autumn
The Autumn season is the season of blossoms as well so, you can enjoy different species of flowers along the EBC trail. You will see the Rhododendron flower (National flower of Nepal) blooming in spring at the lower altitude of the trails which will give a pleasant feeling.
March Weather
The spring season starts in March and lasts in May and the weather starts to get warmer day by day in March. The average temperature of day time in March is about 7C and the temperature may drop down to -12C minimum at night time.
There is a high chance of sunshine in the daytime, you will be warm while you are walking and the March is a good time for the trek to the base camp so, it is recommended to plan your EBC Trek in March.
April Weather
The month of April is in the middle of the spring and is considered to be one of the best months for the trek. The spring is the best time to summit Everest as well, you will see plenty of tented camp at base camp where climber are acclimatizing and waiting for good weather to summit Everest and the temperature get even warmer day by day in April and it is neither too hot nor too cold.
The average temperature in the daytime in April is about 10 degrees Celsius and it may drop to a minimum of - 5 degrees in the nighttime. EBC Trek in April is much recommended.
May Weather
The temperature in the Everest region in May gets even warmer the average temperature in the daytime is about 15C and the minimum temperature may drop to 0C. May is the time to summit Everest as well so, the weather in May at the EBC is ideal for those who cannot bear too cold weather then the month of May is the best time to plan for your trek. As May is the end of the spring and the end of May is the start of the summer in Nepal it may start to rain a little.
Everest Weather in summer/monsoon
The summer is June, July and August in Nepal, the temperature maximum is about 18C in the daytime and the minimum temperature is about 2C, the trail to the EBC also becomes less windy than in other seasons but gets wet.
Summer trek to Everest Base Camp
The first 2 weeks of June are still recommendable for the EBC trek. However, the rainy season starts then after and rains every day. The days are mostly cloudy. So, the summer season is not recommended for the trek however it is not impossible to trek in summer. We have found that some travelers have holidays for travel only in this season, thus, we arrange the trek even in summer. We strongly recommend you to have a few spare days at the end of the Trek as the flight to Lukla and return may get cancelled frequently cause of the bad weather conditions in the mountain and airport in Lukla. The flight to Lukla can be operated only in good weather conditions.
June Weather
June is the start of Summer/Monsoon in Nepal and the temperature get starts to go higher and rain starts slowly. The average temperature at day time is about 16-17C and the minimum temperature at night may drop about 0C. The trails start to get wet in June, most people do not plan the trek in June however the first 2 weeks of June are still ok and the trek in June is surely possible.
July Weather
July is summer/monsoon in Nepal and it rains a lot in Nepal making the trails wetter. The weather even gets hotter and humid. The average maximum temperature in the Everest region in July in the daytime is about 18C and the minimum temperature at night may drop down to 2C.
The trek in July is not recommendable however, it is not impossible to do the trek in July. If you can compromise on the weather and if you have some extra days to wait for flights to Lukla, it is doable. The reason behind this is that there is a high chance to be cancelled the flights to Lukla and returning due to the weather condition.
August Weather
August is the end of the Summer/Monsoon in Nepal and the temperature stays like in July. The daytime average temperature is about 18C and the minimum is about 2C at night time.
The end of August is the start of autumn so, you can plan the trek from the end of August, trekking in August is also not impossible.
Everest Weather in Autumn
Autumn is September, October and November in Nepal. After the summer offseason, the tourists once again start hitting the trails in the Everest region as the rains slowly stop, the sky once again is a clear and great view of the distant Himalayas visible. The temperature slowly starts to get colder day by day but not as cold as winter. Autumn has the best weather condition in Everest Base Camp So, so autumn is considered to be the time of the year for your EBC trek.
The minimum temperature of autumn in the Everest region is -10C and the maximum temperature is about 17C. The monsoon also comes to the end at the start of this season so the precipitation falls drastically to almost nil in November and the wind starts to pick up in the base camp and higher up in the mountains once again. This season is also the best time for trekking in Nepal as the monsoon rains wash away all the dirty air and the environment is clear and pristine once again. The EBC trek in autumn is highly recommended.
September Weather
September is the start of the autumn season and the end of the monsoon season. There can be some rain in the first two weeks of September from the end of September. The camp trail is full of trekkers. The average daytime temperature in September in Everest Base camp is about 17C and the minimum temperature is about 1C at night time.
The EBC trek in September is recommended as most days are sunshine after the monsoon.
October Weather
October is the best time of the year for the EBC trek. The month of October is also the busiest time on this trail.
The average temperature is about 12C in the daytime in EBC and the minimum temperature can be about -5C at night. The temperature is neither too cold nor hot so, most people plan to trek for EBC in October.
November Weather
November is the end of autumn and starts the winter so, the temperature starts to down day by day. However, November is still a good time for the EBC trek. The days are mostly sunshine and the average temperature of the daytime is about 6C the minimum temperature in the region in November can drop to -10C at night time.
Everest Weather in Winter
The winter in Nepal is in December, January and February. Winter in the base camp can be very cold so very few people venture out to see the mountains during winter in Nepal. The temperature dips to one of the lowest to -18C and the maximum temperature in the daytime are about 4C.
The first 2 weeks of December and the last 2 weeks of February are still recommendable for the trek.
December Weather
The month of December is the start of the winter in Nepal and the temperature in Everest Base camp drops down day by day in December. The daytime average temperature in December is about 4C and the minimum temperature may drop to – 15C at night. The days are generally foggy however some days may be clear and have good visibility. The trek in December is possible and recommended as well and you just need to bear a little colder.
January Weather
The month of January is the main winter season in Nepal. The daytime maximum temperature in January in the Everest region is 4C and the minimum temperature may drop to -18C at night. The month of January is the coldest month of the year. Furthermore, there may be snowfall in the base camp and the trail it follows. Few trekkers still dare to trek in January and you need to be well equipped if you are available only in January and planning to trek to EBC in January.
February Weather
The month of February is the end of the winter season and the temperature slowly starts to warm from the second week of February. The maximum daytime temperature is 4C and the minimum temperature in February at night may go down to -15C and the trek in February is surely possible.
Conclusion
The EBC trek is possible whole throughout the Year. We recommend you travel to Nepal and accomplish the trek in the Autumn or Spring Season if possible. However, it is not impossible to trek to base camp in winter or summer as well. Our previous experience shows that most of our treks in the winter and summer seasons are also successful. But, you have to be more prepared for the weather conditions if you are trekking in the winter and summer seasons in Nepal. As such, you need to have some spare days in case of any delay or cancellation on flights to Lukla and return and need to have adequate warm clothing and equipment to bear the cold (for Winter trekking in Nepal).
And there is some advantage of trekking to base camps in the offseason like in winter and Summer as the Spring and Autumn are very busy and only a few trekkers dare to trek to base camp in Winter and Summer, you are travel at a discounted price as we offer discounts on offseason, you are trek in the less crowed trail so, there is not any problem for find accommodation on trails to EBC etc…
