The mountain chains that adorn the region include the Karakoram range, Nun Kun range, the Zanskar range and Nanga Parbat. The State of Jammu and Kashmir has many Himalayan rivers flowing through it; the most significant among these are the Indus, Jhelum and Chenab. Due to the geography, location, climate, soil, rainfall and altitude, the vegetation in the area ranges from tropical deciduous forests to temperate and coniferous forests. The Jammu and Kashmir region has loamy soil rich in magnesia, in most parts. The other varieties of soils found in the region are clay, sandy and peats. As far as the regional flora is concerned, the area is rich in pines, conifers and medicinal herbs. Fauna in the Jammu and Kashmir region ranges from a variety of mountain birds to animals. The climate in this part of India, as any other depends upon the time of the year and location, the area in naturally cool and extremely cold depending upon the altitude and mountainous geography.
Climate
At an altitude of over 1,000 metres the Kashmir Valley is much cooler than Jammu and it is at its best in the months of May-June for visiting to get a respite from the hot, airless plains. At this time the daily temperatures are around 200 C, a delightfully cool contrast to the 400 C temperatures common on the plains to the south. In July and August it can get rather hotter and the valley somewhat humid and still - the simple solution is to move out to one of the smaller resorts that lie around the valley rim. At places like Pahalgam, Gulmarg and Sonamarg the altitude ensures cooler weather even in mid summer.The Kashmir tourist season ends in October as minimum temperatures drop down below 100 C and from November to February night time temperatures often fall below freezing in Srinagar , snow falls and during cold years Dal Lake can actually freeze over. In the winter Gulmarg becomes India's number one ski resort. The spring thaw begins in February-March. Rainfall in Kashmir is fairly even year round. The mountains protect Kashmir from the worst of the monsoon.
Weather
Kashmir weather is quite erratic. However, the climate of Kashmir can be divided into four seasons, namely spring, summer, autumn and winter. Read on to further explore the weather and climate of Kashmir, India:Spring
The spring season starts in March and lasts up to early May. The average temperature during spring season ranges from 23° C to 6° C. Brief showers, light winds and blossoming flowers characterize this season. Along with that, the whole of Kashmir stands blanketed in the hues of green.
Summer
Starting from May, the summer season extends up to the end of August. The climatic conditions of Kashmir in summers are not quite hot. In Srinagar, you may even require to put on light woolens in summers. The average temperature in the daytime falls in the range of 25° C to 35° C. Kashmir is the most sought after hill station during summers.
Autumn
With the onset of September, comes the time for the autumn season. The whole region gets covered in the hues of first gold, then russet and then red. The average temperature during autumn hovers around 23° C (max) to 10° C (min). The season lasts till late November, by which time the need for heavy woolens starts mounting.
Winter
Stretching from December to early March is the winter season in Kashmir. Covered with snow throughout, Kashmir looks like a picture straight out of a fairytale.