Murree weather in January is the coldest of the year: long-term averages give days of about 8 °C and nights of about −3 °C, and recent Januaries have been colder still, with days nearer 5 °C and nights around −5 °C. It is also the month most likely to bring snow, which is why the police and district administration control entry to the town on snow days.
This guide covers the January numbers, how snow usually arrives, what the entry rules mean in practice, and how to time a day trip from Islamabad so you are off the hill before the roads ice over. For winter as a whole, including what there is to do, see our Murree in winter guide.
| At a glance | |
|---|---|
| Altitude | 2,291 m |
| Average day, long-term | 8.4 °C (NOAA normals, 1961 to 1990) |
| Average night, long-term | −3.2 °C |
| Recent Januaries | Days about 4.8 °C, nights about −5.4 °C (Open-Meteo, 2016 to 2026) |
| Precipitation | About 127 mm in the month, much of it as snow |
| Snow | Most reliable month of the year, but never certain |
| Daylight | Sunrise about 7:10, sunset 5:08 rising to 5:35 |
| Road control | Entry can be stopped at 17 Mile and Phulgran in heavy snow |
| Emergency | Rescue 1122; Murree traffic control room 051-9269200 |
Weather now in Murree 2,300 m
Live weather loads here.
When it snows: Late December to February, sometimes into March; January is the most reliable month. More on the seasons
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0), updated every 30 minutes. Mountain weather changes fast: check again before you set off.
How cold is Murree in January?
Very cold at night, and cold by day. Two sources are worth reading side by side.
| January | Long-term normals | Recent Januaries |
|---|---|---|
| Average high | 8.4 °C | 4.8 °C |
| Average low | −3.2 °C | −5.4 °C |
| Precipitation | 126.5 mm | 14 to 276 mm, varying by year |
| Coldest on record | −8.4 °C | about −14 °C |
| Nights below freezing | Not given | 30 or 31 in almost every year |
The first column is the NOAA climate normals for Murree's station, 1961 to 1990, as published on Wikipedia. The second is Open-Meteo historical data for Murree's grid point at 2,291 metres, Januaries 2016 to 2026. Open-Meteo figures are modelled, not measured on the Mall, and they run colder than the station normals, so treat the truth as somewhere between the two.
Either way, the practical picture is the same. Nights fall below freezing almost every night of the month. In the modelled data, a few days a year (three or four on average) stay below zero even at midday, usually during or just after a snow spell. On a clear, still day the sun at midday can feel surprisingly warm; in wind or cloud, it doesn't.
Will it snow in Murree in January?
January is the best bet of the year, but snow comes in spells, not as a steady season. A western disturbance moves in, snows for a day or two, and then the sky clears and the cold deepens.
January 2026 showed how this works. Murree had about four inches of snow at the start of the month (Dawn, 2 January 2026). Then, after a dry stretch, a heavy spell on 22 and 23 January left 15 inches at Sunny Bank and more than two feet in the upper areas, according to the Met Office and the deputy commissioner (Dawn, 24 January 2026). A further spell began on the night of 26 January, with another four inches recorded.
Other Januaries have been much drier. In the Open-Meteo record the month's precipitation has ranged from 14 mm (2018) to 276 mm (2017). So book around the forecast, not the date: our Murree snowfall guide explains how to read the Pakistan Meteorological Department advisories.
What are the road rules on snow days?
Since the storm of 7 and 8 January 2022, when more than 157,000 vehicles entered Murree and 23 people died, mostly trapped in cars on blocked roads, the administration has managed entry during snow far more tightly. As of the 2025 to 2026 season, this is how it worked in practice:
- Vehicle numbers are watched. In December 2025 the deputy commissioner told Dawn the town allowed "more than 5000 vehicles" in, with the number rising if traffic kept moving. It is a working limit, not a fixed quota, and it can drop to zero.
- Entry can be stopped completely. During the 23 January 2026 storm, the administration stopped vehicles entering Murree, and Motorway Police closed the Murree Expressway (N75) from Phulgran toll plaza towards Murree. The ban was lifted the next morning, and the Expressway reopened to limited traffic (Dawn, 25 January 2026).
- The checkpoints are at 17 Mile and Phulgran. These are the main entry points from Islamabad, and the Tourism Department placed facilitation staff at both for the 2025 to 2026 season (Dawn, 23 November 2025).
- Police advice for snow days. The Murree traffic police advisory of December 2025 asked visitors to use four-wheel-drive vehicles in snowfall, keep the fuel tank full, carry warm clothes, keep correct tyre pressure, never park in no-parking areas and never make a second lane in a queue.
If the police turn you back, go back. People who left on a snow day in January 2026 still ended up stuck at Chitta Mor on the GT Road and at Mussiari on the Expressway, and officials said many vehicles slipped because drivers had not fitted chains. For chains, black ice and what to do if you get stuck, see our Galiyat snow driving guide.
How should you time a January day trip from Islamabad?
Murree is about 54 km by road from Zero Point in Islamabad to the GPO on the Mall, around 45 minutes of driving with clear roads (OSRM routing). On a snow day it can take many times that, and January daylight is short, with sunset around 5:10 early in the month.
A plan that keeps you off the hill after dark:
- Check the forecast the night before, and the traffic police and NHMP updates in the morning. If heavy snow is falling or forecast for that day, postpone.
- Leave Islamabad by 8am, with a full tank and chains in the boot.
- Arrive by mid-morning, park where you are told, and keep the day to the Mall and one viewpoint or activity.
- Start back down by 3pm. Meltwater refreezes as the sun goes, and the worst ice is in the evening.
- Pick a day after a spell, midweek. The first weekend after a big snowfall is the most crowded time of the whole winter.
Our Murree day trip from Islamabad plan gives the full timed day for other seasons too.
Should you go to Murree in January?
Go if you want snow and can be flexible: a midweek trip a day or two after a spell, with a booked room or a firm plan to be back down by dark, is the best of Murree in winter. The pine forest and the Mall are at their best under fresh snow.
Think twice if your dates are fixed to a single weekend, if you are driving a small car without chains, or if you are travelling with infants or elderly parents who would struggle in a long queue in the cold. For them, a clear October or November visit is far easier, and our guide to the seasons compares the options. The whole year's numbers are in our Murree weather by month guide.
Frequently asked questions
What is the temperature in Murree in January?
Long-term averages are about 8 °C by day and −3 °C at night. Recent Januaries have been colder, with days nearer 5 °C and nights around −5 °C in modelled data, with the coldest nights below −10 °C.
Is January the best month for snow in Murree?
Yes, it is the most reliable, followed by February. Snow comes in spells of a day or two, and some Januaries are almost dry, so watch the forecast.
Can I enter Murree when it is snowing?
Often yes, but not always. In heavy snow the administration stops vehicle entry at 17 Mile and Phulgran, as it did on 23 January 2026, and lifts the ban once roads are cleared.
Do I need snow chains in Murree in January?
Carry them. Officials said many of the cars that slipped during the January 2026 storm had no chains, and police advise four-wheel drive during snowfall.
Is it safe to drive to Murree in January?
Yes, if you check the forecast, avoid active storms, travel by daylight and follow police instructions at the checkpoints. The danger comes from long queues in heavy snow, not from the cold alone.
