December at a glance
- Way in
- Kinnaur road only
- Kunzum Pass
- Closed
- Chandratal
- Frozen, cut off
- Kaza by day
- About −6 °C
- Kaza at night
- About −18 °C
- Spiti Villa
- Open
Kaza temperatures are average highs and lows for December, 2001–2025; the coldest December night in that time was about −37 °C. Spiti weather month by month
Which way in
Only through Kinnaur from Shimla. Keep two spare days at the end of the trip, and go in and out the same way.
Weather
Kaza averages a high of about −6 °C and a low of about −18 °C; the family sees nights of −15 °C to −20 °C, colder towards January. The first heavy snow usually comes in mid to late December.
Who December suits
Winter travellers who want snow on the monasteries and empty roads, and who are ready for dry toilets, frozen pipes and power cuts after heavy snow. Spiti Villa is open; call ahead.
What’s open, and what isn’t
Usually reachable
- Tabo, Dhankar and Kaza on the main road
- Key Monastery and Kibber, when the road is clear
- Langza, when the road up is clear (often by mid-morning)
- Homestays in Key, Kibber, Langza and Kaza: fewer, so book ahead
Closed or cut off
- Kunzum Pass and the road to Manali
- Chandratal and its camps
- Most cafés and restaurants
- Running water in many homes: pipes freeze
Quick answers
Is Spiti open in December?
Yes, through Kinnaur from Shimla, though fresh snow can close the road for a day or more. Kunzum Pass and Chandratal are closed.
Does it snow in Spiti in December?
Usually, from the middle or end of the month. The heaviest snow comes in January and February.
Sources
- Spiti Valley in winter, Himalayan Brothers
- Gramphu-Kaza highway officially closed for traffic via Kunzum Pass, The Tribune, 23 November 2024
- Open-Meteo historical weather API (ERA5 reanalysis), Kaza, daily data 2001–2025, averages computed 14 November 2026