Sauni Village, U.P., Cold and Cloudy

Mean Monthly Temp. <25 (°C)

Mean Monthly R.H. >55(%) Mean Monthly Precipitation >5

No. of clear days in a month<20

Places J&K, Himachal, NW UP, Niligiri

• Winters are prolonged and summers are short in this climate. There is also a fair amount of precipitation- snow or rain, often spread across the year.

• The traditional homes and villages of the sub - Himalayan region are built on hill slopes that would receive a fair amount of sunshine.

• The lower floor is occupied by cattle and used for storage.

• The upper floor which is away from cold and damp ground has the living rooms. The cooking area is a part of it, in order to benefit from the heat generated by it.

• Low timber ceiling provide insulation and conserve the warmth. Windows face the sun.

• Kargil • Zanskar • Sankar Gompa • Jami Masjid • Chamba Temple • Leh Palace • Leh Gompa • Other Leh Gompas • Leh Fort • Shanti Stupa • Drass • Padum • Rangdum • Suru Valley • Stongdey • Zangla

Leh, Cold and Sunny

• Mean Monthly Temp. <25 (°C)

• Mean Monthly R.H. <55 (%)

• Mean Monthly Precipitation <5

• No. of clear days in a month >20

• Places Ladakh

• Leh in Ladakh is a "mountain desert."

• There is very little precipitation and the temperatures vary greatly between the day and night and also from summer to winter. The traditional Ladhaki settlement is usually built on steep slopes facing southward. This allows good insolation during the day.

• Heavy walls (mud) and a well insulated roof (timber & mud) dampen the variations of indoor temperatures.

• The use of glass and nowadays, trombe- wall is very successful as heat can be stored in the building mass during the day, to stay warm indoors at night.

• The Himalayas, Ladakh on the south, prevent all but about four inches of annual precipitation from reaching the area. The base elevation is around 11,000 feet, with the mountains reaching 20,000 feet and higher. During the seven-month winter, it is not uncommon for temperatures to drop to -40°F. In summer, the high altitude sun beats down mercilessly. Scarcely any vegetation softens the lines of the jagged mountains.