Mountain weather is often unpredictable. In a minute, it can be sunny and, in another minute, mist could cover it. Lukla has the same kind of trend. The geographic location of Lukla is such that, most of the days of the year, the weather is challenging. Hence, the challenge causes the Lukla flights to cancel or delayed most of the time.
Even a sunny day can be bad weather in Lukla. A sunny day means a windy afternoon. The wind and temperature play a vital role in aircraft landing and takeoff. On a sunny day, few flights in the morning are done with excellence, while the afternoon flights are most probable canceled or rescheduled for the next day.
Lukla Weather forecast by month
We cannot forecast Lukla’s weather early. The mountains are different. However, with experience and trends, one can make a general forecast.
January – Snowy and misty almost all the month
February – Snowy and foggy most of the month
March – weather improves and sunnier days most of the month
April – Best Weather (except few days as exceptional)
May – The first few days are good, but the weather is getting worse. Few days are cloudy and unpredictable
June – After the mid of the month, the weather is mostly bad. Lukla stays covered under a white cloud.
July – Bad weather almost all the month
August – Bad weather almost all the month (few good days)
September- the weather starts improving and generally good weather by the end of the month.
October – Best weather (except few days as exceptional)
November – Good Weather, starts getting bad by the end of the month
December – Bad weather by the end of the month (snowy and cloudy)
The above is the general knowledge of the weather to make you understand the trend of the Lukla weather by month.
Lukla weather Live camera
You can watch the live weather at Lukla airport: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5-X5AeJbAE
What is the elevation of Lukla? How high is Lukla airport?
Lukla is 9383 Ft above sea level.
Does Lukla have snow?
Yes, Lukla has snow during the winter months: January and February.
Kathmandu to Lukla helicopter flight time
It takes 25 mins to fly from Kathmandu to Lukla by Airplane and 45 mins by helicopter.
Lukla Airport is the only airport in the Everest region. So, all the regions flight in and out of Everest is based at Lukla. Bad weather at Lukla can cause your flight from Gorekshep to cancel. From all the higher regions on Everest, the first stop is usually made in Lukla for fueling purposes. Moreover, pilots usually make the Lukla airport transit during lousy weather for safety reasons. They can stop there and wait until the weather is ok to proceed further higher or lower.
Bad weather at Lukla can sometimes be depressing. There have been times in recent years that the flight was terrible, and the flights couldn’t operate in Lukla for two weeks or more. In 2022, during May, the weather was awful and caused many flights to cancel for around 10 – 15 days. Bad weather for 3 days to 7 days is a standard expectation.
Hence, if you plan your trip to Everest, be prepared for unforeseen conditions. However, do not get surprised or do not panic; it is just a part of an adventure.
If the weather goes bad for longer days, you can walk for 2 days until you reach a place where you can find the road and jeep that can take you to Kathmandu. Your guide can help you with this. It is what it is.
If you want to know more about the weather and ask for information, you can contact us by WhatsApp at +977-9851312456. We will try to answer you will our experience.
