Char Dham Yatra 2026: Live Updates

IMD Dehradun's later bulletin (14 Oct, 18:30 IST) sharpens the picture we flagged on 14 Oct: The hail and 40–50 km/h gust warning applied to 15 Oct. For 16 Oct the warning covers only Dehradun and Tehri; Uttarkashi, Rudraprayag and Chamoli still get rain/snow at a few places. Kedarnath (Rudraprayag): forecast dry on 17–18 Oct. Gangotri, Yamunotri (Uttarkashi) and Badrinath (Chamoli): isolated very light to light rain/snow on 17–18 Oct, with snow only at 3,800 m and above; no warnings. 19–20 Oct: dry statewide. Reports on 16 Oct said 15 Oct brought scattered rain and intermittent snowfall on the higher reaches, with temperatures falling. Winter closing dates for Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri are still not officially announced; dates circulating online are unconfirmed, so check the temple committee's site. The last Kedarnath helicopter window (flights 16 Oct–9 Nov) is covered on our how-to-reach page.

Following up our 14 Oct note: IMD Dehradun's district bulletin issued at 18:30 IST on 14 Oct keeps the 15 Oct thunderstorm warning with hail, lightning and 40–50 km/h gusts (isolated places) for Uttarkashi (Yamunotri, Gangotri), Rudraprayag (Kedarnath) and Chamoli (Badrinath). Uttarkashi is forecast to see rain or snow at many places today; Rudraprayag and Chamoli at a few places. Snow is possible from 3,500 m on 15–16 Oct. What changed: on 16 Oct none of the three dham districts carries a warning (it is now limited to Dehradun, Tehri and Nainital), though light to moderate rain or snow is still possible at a few places in Chamoli and Rudraprayag. On 17–18 Oct Rudraprayag is forecast dry, while Uttarkashi and Chamoli may see isolated light rain or snow (3,800 m and above); no warnings are listed. Winter closing dates are still not announced.

What changed: IMD Dehradun's 13 Oct evening bulletin adds a thunderstorm warning for 15 Oct, with hail, lightning and gusty winds of 40–50 km/h at isolated places. The list includes Uttarkashi (Yamunotri, Gangotri), Rudraprayag (Kedarnath) and Chamoli (Badrinath), plus Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri and Haridwar on the approach roads. Light to moderate rain or snow is forecast at 3,500 m and above on 15–16 Oct, so the upper Kedarnath trek and the shrines themselves can turn cold and wet. Pilgrims with flexible plans should keep 15 Oct as a travel-light or rest day, start early on 16 Oct, and expect drier weather by 19 Oct, when IMD shows no rain in any district. Winter closing dates for the four dhams have still not been announced; we will add them here once the temple committees confirm.

The portals of Sri Hemkund Sahib in Chamoli closed for the winter on 10 Oct. The final ardas was held around 12:30 pm and the hukamnama taken at 1 pm, as reported. The shrine logged 3,84,573 pilgrims in a season that began on 23 May, reported as a record (up from 3,52,765 in our 28 Sep entry). Snow fell at the shrine on 9 Oct and again shortly before the ceremony; Chamoli Police and SDRF helped pilgrims on the slippery climb from Ghangaria. What this means for you: the Hemkund Sahib trek is over for 2026. All four Char Dham shrines stay open, and their winter closing dates are still awaited. IMD's 10 Oct bulletin shows no weather warning for the state from 11 to 14 Oct.

Hemkund Sahib and Lokpal Tirth close for winter today, 10 Oct, at 2 PM. The day's programme: Sukhmani Sahib path at 10 AM, shabad kirtan at 11:20 AM and the final ardas at 12:30 PM, after which the Panj Pyare carry the Guru Granth Sahib to Sachkhand. More than 3.78 lakh pilgrims visited since the 23 May opening, against 2.86 lakh last year. The shrine had its third snowfall of the season late on 8–9 Oct. All four dhams remain open. Winter closing dates for Kedarnath, Badrinath, Gangotri and Yamunotri have still not been officially announced; they are traditionally fixed on Vijayadashami, which falls on 20 Oct this year. IMD's 8 Oct bulletin warns of thunderstorms and gusty winds in Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Uttarkashi on 10 Oct, with rain/snow possible above 3,800 m, and no warnings for 11–12 Oct.