Seasonal · Uttarakhand
Auli Snowfall: When It Really Snows, and How to Get Up There
Auli is sold as India's ski slope, so people expect snow from December. The last four winters were thinner than that: national ski races were cancelled or postponed for lack of snow in 2023 and 2025, and in 2026 the first real snow came on 23 January. The ropeway from Joshimath has also been shut since January 2023. Here is what actually happened, and how you get up there now.
Photo: nanda devi institute of adventure sports and outdoor education, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Text added by Trip Under.
Short answer
Auli's slopes are usually under snow from January to March (Chamoli district). In the last four winters that held only in part: the first big snow came on 12 December in 2024 but not until 23 January in 2026, and national ski races were called off for lack of snow in 2023 and 2025. The Joshimath–Auli ropeway has been shut since January 2023, so you go up the 16 km road, which snow itself can close. Go between mid-January and February, and keep spare days.
Auli sits between about 2,500 and 3,050 metres above Joshimath in Chamoli district. It has India's best-known ski slopes, but snow there comes in spells, not as a steady winter blanket.
The dates below come from dated reports by PTI, Reuters, Scroll, ETV Bharat, The Pioneer, Business Today and The Better India, and from the Chamoli district page. Where we could not find a dated source for something, a fare or a room price, we have left it out and say so. Weather is never a promise: treat every month here as odds, not a booking date.
When it snowed, the last four winters
| Winter | Snow at Auli | What happened |
|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | Less than expected by February | National alpine ski and snowboard championship moved to 23–26 Feb, then cancelled for lack of snow (ETV Bharat, 16 Feb 2023) |
| 2023–24 | Little snow by mid-January | An Auli hotel owner told Reuters bookings had fallen to 20%, with guests cancelling days before arrival (15 Jan 2024) |
| 2024–25 | First major snowfall 12 Dec 2024; then three spells between January and early March | Ski season only a few days long; national championship postponed from Jan–Feb, then again from 16–19 Mar (Scroll, 18 Mar 2025; PTI, 12 Apr 2025) |
| 2025–26 | Almost none in December; heavy snow 23 Jan 2026 | December 2025 was essentially dry across Uttarakhand's mountains and Auli bookings fell (The Better India, 16 Jan 2026); the January snow closed the Joshimath–Auli road for a time (PTI, 24 Jan 2026) |
| 2026–27 | No Auli report yet (11 Nov 2026) | Fresh overnight snow at Badrinath, further up the same valley, reported on 2 Nov 2026 (DD India) |
Photo: ArmouredCyborg, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The pattern: snow at Auli comes in spells. In two of the last four winters there was little or none before late January, and a ski race needs about four feet of snow where beginners can manage on half a foot (Auli Skiing School founder, quoted by Scroll). Mid-January to February has the best odds.
The Joshimath–Auli ropeway: still shut
- Suspended on 5 January 2023 as land subsidence and cracks spread through Joshimath; the Chief Minister's Office said it was stopped "till further orders" (Business Today, 5 Jan 2023).
- Still not running. PTI reported in April 2025 that it had been suspended since 2023 for safety reasons after cracks appeared in a pillar of the ropeway station. In June 2026 The Pioneer reported it had "yet to resume operating", with surveys done but no concrete progress; its manager put the losses at about ₹10 crore (The Pioneer, 19 Jun 2026).
- A new line is only a plan. In September 2026 a Joshimath–Auli–Gorson ropeway was on the state's list of six main ropeway projects, but it was not one of the two with central approval (Indian Masterminds, 21 Sep 2026).
- Ignore old pages that list ropeway fares and timings. Many travel pages still do; we found no report of it reopening.
Photo: christian0702, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Getting to Auli
- To Joshimath. Government and private buses run from Dehradun to Joshimath, about 289 km, for about ₹500 to ₹700, in 12 to 13 hours; a private taxi costs ₹3,500 or more (Trip Under's Kuari Pass record).
- Joshimath to Auli. 16 km by road, by bus or taxi (Chamoli district). With the ropeway shut, this road is the only way up.
- Snow closes the road. On 23 January 2026 the Joshimath–Auli road was closed to traffic because of accumulated snow while it was cleared, and the district asked people to avoid unnecessary travel (PTI). Local operators told PTI in April 2025 that winter snow makes the road between the two towns difficult for vehicles.
We could not find a dated, official or news-reported taxi fare for Joshimath to Auli, so we have left it out. Agree the price in Joshimath before you set off, and ask whether the driver has chains.
Gorson Bugyal
Gorson Bugyal is the high meadow above Auli, reached on foot. In the 2024–25 winter snow fell all the way from Jyotirmath (Joshimath) through Auli to Gorson Bugyal, and some was still frozen there in April (PTI, 12 Apr 2025). So it can still hold snow late in the season. The walk length varies a lot between sources and we found no official figure, so check it locally and go with someone who knows the path in snow.
Photo: Vaibhav78545, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
What it costs
Auli is where we could confirm the least. The only fare we can stand behind is the bus to Joshimath, ₹500–700 one way from Dehradun. We could not find a current, dated price for rooms in Auli or Joshimath, for GMVN's winter ski courses, or for the taxi up, and we will not guess. For this winter's ski-course fees and government rooms, check the official site of GMVN, the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam.
For a priced snow trip from the same base, our Kuari Pass trek page starts from Joshimath: December to March is its snow season, and a budget operator's five-day price, permits included, is about ₹10,000.
Safety in snow season
- Keep spare days. The road up can close after snow (January 2026), and with the ropeway shut there is no other way down.
- Watch the forecast and district advisories from the Chamoli administration and the IMD forecast before driving up.
- It is high. The slopes run up to about 3,050 metres (Chamoli district). Pack for real cold.
- Use proper gear on snow: our Chopta and Kuari Pass records both advise micro-spikes in the snow season.
Quieter places for snow nearby
- Chopta and Tungnath: the path up to Tungnath is snowbound from December to March. In January 2026, though, the Tungnath weather station recorded no snow at all by mid-month, a first since 1985 (The Better India, 16 Jan 2026), so the same caution applies.
- Kuari Pass, from Joshimath: a short winter snow trek with a long view of Nanda Devi.
- More options, with three-day costs, in our snowfall places in India list.
Frequently asked questions
When does it snow in Auli?
Usually from January to March, according to the Chamoli district page. In practice it comes in spells: the first major snow came on 12 December in 2024, but not until 23 January in 2026.
Will there be snow in Auli in December?
Not reliably. In December 2024 there was a major snowfall on the 12th; in December 2025 Uttarakhand's mountains had essentially no snow at all. Mid-January to February has better odds.
Is the Joshimath–Auli ropeway open?
No. It was suspended on 5 January 2023 during the Joshimath land subsidence and, as of June 2026, had not resumed (The Pioneer, 19 June 2026). A new Joshimath–Auli–Gorson line is only a proposal.
How do I get to Auli without the ropeway?
By road from Joshimath, 16 km, by bus or taxi. Snow can close this road for a time, as it did on 23 January 2026.
Is there snow at Gorson Bugyal?
In a snowy winter, yes: in 2024–25 snow reached Gorson Bugyal and some was still frozen in April. In 2025 snow lasted there into April.
Is Auli good for skiing every year?
No. National ski championships at Auli were cancelled in 2023 and postponed twice in 2025 for lack of snow, and a local ski school founder told Scroll it was the sixth time since 2014 they had been cancelled or postponed.
Sources and how we priced this
- Snow history: ETV Bharat, Auli national winter games cancelled (16 Feb 2023); Reuters via Business Day, snow shortage hits Indian ski tourism (15 Jan 2024); Scroll, low snowfall and cancelled contests (18 Mar 2025); PTI via The Week, winter tourism in Auli and Jyotirmath (12 Apr 2025); The Better India, snow drought in the Himalaya (16 Jan 2026); PTI via The Week, Uttarakhand's first snowfall of 2026 (24 Jan 2026); DD India, fresh snowfall at Badrinath (2 Nov 2026).
- Ropeway: Business Today, Auli ropeway suspended (5 Jan 2023); PTI via The Week (12 Apr 2025); The Pioneer, Auli ropeway yet to resume (19 Jun 2026); Indian Masterminds, Uttarakhand ropeway projects (21 Sep 2026).
- Auli distance, altitude and snow months: Chamoli district, chamoli.nic.in Auli page (last updated 15 Sep 2018).
- Bus to Joshimath, Kuari Pass price and season: Trip Under's own trek record (src/data.js, sources on the Kuari Pass page). Chopta snow months: Trip Under's Chopta record.
- Not found, so left out: a current Joshimath–Auli taxi fare, room prices in Auli or Joshimath, GMVN ski-course fees for 2026–27, an official walking distance to Gorson Bugyal.
Keep reading
Want snow you can walk to from a cheap bed?
Chopta, a day's ride from Rishikesh, has a path to Tungnath that is snowbound from December to March, and our page prices every rupee.
See Chopta costs →Costs come from Trip Under's place data and our cost model (see methodology). They are indicative ballparks for budget travel and move with season and demand. Check live bus, train and room prices before you book. Trip Under is reader-planned, not an agency, and takes no commission on any booking.