Climate and average weather in Kabul
In Kabul, the summers are hot, dry, and clear and the winters are very cold, snowy, and mostly clear.
Over the course of the year, the temperature in Kabul typically varies from -11°C to 29°C, and is rarely below -20°C or above 32°C. July is the hottest month of the year, while January is the coldest.
Based on the travel score, the best times of year to visit Kabul for warm-weather activities are from late May to early July and mid August to mid October.
- Hottest
- Jul
- 29°
- Coldest
- Jan
- -11°
- Wettest
- Apr
- 77 mm
- Driest
- Aug
- 4 mm
- Rain / yr
- 394 mm
- 69 wet days
- Daylight
- 9.7–14.3 h
- shortest–longest
- Elevation
- 1,798 m
- 34.5°N
- Clearest
- Sep
- 11% cloud
Kabul is capital and the largest city of Afghanistan.
- Air quality
- Severe
- PM2.5 119.8 µg/m³ · 2019
- Density
- 16,126/km²
- people per km²
- Founded
- 1200
Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.
Kabul weather by month, at a glance
The whole year in one picture — sky, rain, humidity, temperature and travel score. Click any band to jump to its full chart.
Each stripe is one measure across the whole year, stacked so a single day reads top to bottom. The sky band runs overcast grey on top down to clear blue at the base — more blue means sunnier — followed by the rainfall curve, the humidity band, a temperature strip that tints each stretch of the year by how warm its average high is, and the travel-score line at the foot. Scan straight down any date to read that day across every measure at once; the score climbs highest around mid August to mid October.
Temperature through the year
Daily average highs and lows in Kabul, from 1991–2020 of climate data. The shaded bands show the range most days fall in — 10th to 90th percentile.
The hot season lasts 4.3 months, from May 19 to September 27, with daily high temperatures above 22°C. The hottest month of the year in Kabul is July, with an average high of 29°C and low of 16°C.
The cool season lasts 3.1 months, from December 6 to March 8, with daily high temperatures below 6°C. The coldest month of the year in Kabul is January, with an average low of -11°C and high of 1°C.
Days typically run about 12°C warmer than nights year-round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg high (°C) | 1 | 2 | 8 | 16 | 22 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 25 | 18 | 11 | 5 |
| Avg low (°C) | -11 | -9 | -3 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 5 | -1 | -7 |
| Avg high (°C) | Avg low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1 | -11 |
| Feb | 2 | -9 |
| Mar | 8 | -3 |
| Apr | 16 | 4 |
| May | 22 | 9 |
| Jun | 27 | 13 |
| Jul | 29 | 16 |
| Aug | 29 | 16 |
| Sep | 25 | 12 |
| Oct | 18 | 5 |
| Nov | 11 | -1 |
| Dec | 5 | -7 |
How hot and cold Kabul really feels
The felt-temperature range through the year — heat index on the day's high (summer humidity), wind chill on the night's low (winter wind). The dashed lines are the plain thermometer; the gap is how much hotter or colder it really feels.
On the coldest nights, wind chill pulls the feels-like down to about -15°C (around January 16), with roughly 146 freezing days a year (feels-like at or below 0°C) — 74 of them bitterly cold — worst in January.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feels-like high (°C) | 1 | 2 | 8 | 16 | 22 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 25 | 18 | 11 | 5 |
| Air high (°C) | 1 | 2 | 8 | 16 | 22 | 27 | 29 | 29 | 25 | 18 | 11 | 5 |
| Feels-like low (°C) | -15 | -12 | -5 | 3 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 11 | 4 | -3 | -10 |
| Air low (°C) | -11 | -9 | -3 | 4 | 9 | 13 | 16 | 16 | 12 | 5 | -1 | -7 |
| Feels-like high (°C) | Air high (°C) | Feels-like low (°C) | Air low (°C) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1 | 1 | -15 | -11 |
| Feb | 2 | 2 | -12 | -9 |
| Mar | 8 | 8 | -5 | -3 |
| Apr | 16 | 16 | 3 | 4 |
| May | 22 | 22 | 9 | 9 |
| Jun | 27 | 27 | 13 | 13 |
| Jul | 29 | 29 | 16 | 16 |
| Aug | 29 | 29 | 16 | 16 |
| Sep | 25 | 25 | 11 | 12 |
| Oct | 18 | 18 | 4 | 5 |
| Nov | 11 | 11 | -3 | -1 |
| Dec | 5 | 5 | -10 | -7 |
Average hourly temperature in Kabul
A compact picture of the whole year, hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled average temperature. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
Read left to right for the day of the year and top to bottom for the hour of the day; the color is the modeled temperature, cool blues through to hot reds on the same scale as the other charts. A vertical slice is a single day's swing — coolest just before dawn, warmest in the mid-afternoon — while a horizontal slice follows one hour across the seasons. The darker overlay marks night and the lighter one the twilight around sunrise and sunset. Colors run warmest on July afternoons, near 29°C, and coldest before dawn in January, near -11°C.
Kabul weather by month
Every month at a glance. Click a month for its detailed page.
| Month | High / Low (°C) | Rainfall (mm) | Wet days | Snow days | Daylight (hours) | Travel score |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1° / -11° | 42 | 6 | 6.6 | 10 | 0.0 |
| Feb | 2° / -9° | 59 | 7.9 | 8.1 | 10.7 | 0.0 |
| Mar | 8° / -3° | 69 | 9.4 | 6.7 | 11.7 | 1.7 |
| Apr | 16° / 4° | 77 | 11.9 | 2.1 | 12.8 | 4.9 |
| May | 22° / 9° | 52 | 11.7 | 0 | 13.8 | 6.8 |
| Jun | 27° / 13° | 13 | 3.9 | 0 | 14.3 | 8.1 |
| Jul | 29° / 16° | 9 | 1.8 | 0 | 14.1 | 7.1 |
| Aug | 29° / 16° | 4 | 1.1 | 0 | 13.3 | 7.6 |
| Sep | 25° / 12° | 7 | 2.1 | 0 | 12.2 | 9.0 |
| Oct | 18° / 5° | 14 | 3.9 | 0.2 | 11.1 | 7.1 |
| Nov | 11° / -1° | 24 | 4.9 | 2.7 | 10.2 | 3.2 |
| Dec | 5° / -7° | 24 | 4.1 | 4.3 | 9.7 | 0.3 |
Chance of rain
How likely it is to rain on a typical day, and how that shifts across the wetter and drier seasons.
Kabul gets about 394 mm of precipitation a year. On a typical day the chance of rain is some rain, but that rises and falls sharply with the seasons.
The wetter season lasts 4.7 months, from around Jan 16 to Jun 6, peaking in May at about 41% chance on a given day. The drier stretch runs the rest of the year, bottoming out around Aug 16.
April is the wettest month by volume, with 77 mm over about 12 wet days; August is the driest, with 4 mm. Some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rain on a day (%) | 20 | 28 | 30 | 39 | 37 | 13 | 6 | 4 | 7 | 13 | 16 | 14 |
| Rain days | 6 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Rain on a day (%) | Rain days | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 20 | 6 |
| Feb | 28 | 8 |
| Mar | 30 | 9 |
| Apr | 39 | 12 |
| May | 37 | 12 |
| Jun | 13 | 4 |
| Jul | 6 | 2 |
| Aug | 4 | 1 |
| Sep | 7 | 2 |
| Oct | 13 | 4 |
| Nov | 16 | 5 |
| Dec | 14 | 4 |
Monthly rainfall
Over a full year, Kabul collects about 394 mm of rain across 69 wet days — roughly 33 mm in an average month.
It doesn’t fall evenly. April is the wettest month with 77 mm, while August is the driest at just 4 mm. The three wettest months alone bring about 52% of the year’s total, and some of the cold-season precipitation falls as snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rainfall (mm) | 42 | 59 | 69 | 77 | 52 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 7 | 14 | 24 | 24 |
| Rain days | 6 | 8 | 9 | 12 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 |
| Snow days | 7 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Rainfall (mm) | Rain days | Snow days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 42 | 6 | 7 |
| Feb | 59 | 8 | 8 |
| Mar | 69 | 9 | 7 |
| Apr | 77 | 12 | 2 |
| May | 52 | 12 | 0 |
| Jun | 13 | 4 | 0 |
| Jul | 9 | 2 | 0 |
| Aug | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| Sep | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| Oct | 14 | 4 | 0 |
| Nov | 24 | 5 | 3 |
| Dec | 24 | 4 | 4 |
Snow in Kabul
Average snowy days through the year, the snow-season span, and estimated snowfall — for ski trips and the perennial 'will there be snow at Christmas?' question.
Kabul averages about 31 snowy days a year. Snow season runs roughly Oct 27 to Apr 26 — about 6 months.
February is snowiest, with roughly 9 days of snow and an estimated 61 cm of snowfall. Over the year that adds up to an estimated 187 cm of snow.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snow days | 7 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 |
| Snowfall (cm) | 41 | 61 | 40 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 21 |
| Snow days | Snowfall (cm) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 7 | 41 |
| Feb | 8 | 61 |
| Mar | 7 | 40 |
| Apr | 2 | 8 |
| May | 0 | 0 |
| Jun | 0 | 0 |
| Jul | 0 | 0 |
| Aug | 0 | 0 |
| Sep | 0 | 0 |
| Oct | 0 | 0 |
| Nov | 3 | 16 |
| Dec | 4 | 21 |
Clouds and sunshine
How often the daytime sky is clear, partly cloudy or overcast.
In Kabul, the average share of the sky covered by clouds shows significant seasonal variation over the course of the year.
The clearer part of the year begins around May 18 and lasts for 5.7 months, ending around November 8. The clearest month is September, when the sky is clear, mostly clear, or partly cloudy 98% of the time on average.
The cloudier part of the year begins around November 9 and lasts for 6.2 months, ending around May 17. The cloudiest month is March, when it is overcast or mostly cloudy 40% of the time.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clearer (%) | 66 | 61 | 60 | 62 | 78 | 95 | 98 | 98 | 98 | 91 | 79 | 74 |
| Cloudier (%) | 34 | 39 | 40 | 38 | 22 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 21 | 26 |
| Clearer (%) | Cloudier (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 66 | 34 |
| Feb | 61 | 39 |
| Mar | 60 | 40 |
| Apr | 62 | 38 |
| May | 78 | 22 |
| Jun | 95 | 5 |
| Jul | 98 | 2 |
| Aug | 98 | 2 |
| Sep | 98 | 2 |
| Oct | 91 | 9 |
| Nov | 79 | 21 |
| Dec | 74 | 26 |
Daylight, sunrise and sunset
Hours of daylight through the year, with sunrise and sunset times.
The gold band is daylight — sunrise runs along its lower edge, sunset along the upper — so it widens toward summer and pinches toward winter, with night the dark area above and below. The longest day, around June 10, brings about 14 h 18 min of light; the shortest, around January 1, only 9 h 42 min — a swing of roughly 4 h 36 min.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 10.0 | 10.7 | 11.7 | 12.8 | 13.8 | 14.3 | 14.1 | 13.3 | 12.2 | 11.1 | 10.2 | 9.7 |
| Sunrise (AM) | 7:05 | 6:47 | 6:11 | 5:28 | 4:56 | 4:45 | 4:56 | 5:18 | 5:41 | 6:05 | 6:34 | 6:58 |
| Sunset (PM) | 5:00 | 5:29 | 5:55 | 6:19 | 6:43 | 7:02 | 7:02 | 6:36 | 5:54 | 5:12 | 4:43 | 4:40 |
| Daylight (h) | Sunrise (AM) | Sunset (PM) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10.0 | 7:05 | 5:00 |
| Feb | 10.7 | 6:47 | 5:29 |
| Mar | 11.7 | 6:11 | 5:55 |
| Apr | 12.8 | 5:28 | 6:19 |
| May | 13.8 | 4:56 | 6:43 |
| Jun | 14.3 | 4:45 | 7:02 |
| Jul | 14.1 | 4:56 | 7:02 |
| Aug | 13.3 | 5:18 | 6:36 |
| Sep | 12.2 | 5:41 | 5:54 |
| Oct | 11.1 | 6:05 | 5:12 |
| Nov | 10.2 | 6:34 | 4:43 |
| Dec | 9.7 | 6:58 | 4:40 |
Sunny days
How many genuinely sunny days each month brings — days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — banded into plain-language zones.
Kabul averages about 21 sunny days a month — counting the days the sky stays clear or mostly clear — with a clear seasonal swing between 13 and 29 days.
The sunnier stretch runs 5.2 months, from around Jun 2 to Nov 6. The sunniest month is August, with roughly 29 sunny days (brilliant).
The greyest month is May, down near 16 sunny days — about 45% fewer than the August peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sunny days | 17 | 14 | 15 | 13 | 16 | 25 | 29 | 29 | 28 | 26 | 20 | 19 |
| Sky | Bright | Bright | Mixed | Mixed | Bright | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Brilliant | Bright | Bright |
| Sunny days | Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 17 | Bright |
| Feb | 14 | Bright |
| Mar | 15 | Mixed |
| Apr | 13 | Mixed |
| May | 16 | Bright |
| Jun | 25 | Brilliant |
| Jul | 29 | Brilliant |
| Aug | 29 | Brilliant |
| Sep | 28 | Brilliant |
| Oct | 26 | Brilliant |
| Nov | 20 | Bright |
| Dec | 19 | Bright |
Humidity comfort
Share of days at each humidity comfort level, based on the dew point — the measure that tracks how muggy it actually feels.
Humidity comfort is graded by the dew point — the temperature at which the air would be fully saturated — because it tracks how muggy it actually feels far better than relative humidity does. A low dew point feels dry and crisp; a high one feels sticky and oppressive no matter the reading on a humidity gauge.
In Kabul, the air stays dry or comfortable essentially all year. Even in July, the muggiest month, it feels humid or worse only about 0% of the time — humidity is not something you need to plan around here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dry (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 99 | 94 | 93 | 99 | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Comfortable (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dry (%) | Comfortable (%) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 100 | 0 |
| Feb | 100 | 0 |
| Mar | 100 | 0 |
| Apr | 100 | 0 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 99 | 1 |
| Jul | 94 | 6 |
| Aug | 93 | 6 |
| Sep | 99 | 1 |
| Oct | 100 | 0 |
| Nov | 100 | 0 |
| Dec | 100 | 0 |
Wind
Average wind speed through the year, banded into plain-language speed zones so a number reads as 'breezy' or 'calm' without knowing the scale.
This is the average sustained wind speed at the standard 10 metres above open ground — the steady flow a weather station reports, not the sharper gusts that come and go, which can run half again as fast. It's the number that says whether a place is generally breezy or calm.
Across the year, average wind speed in Kabul is typically calm, near 6 km/h, and varies little with the seasons.
The windier part of the year lasts 4.1 months, from around May 15 to Sep 15. The windiest month is July, averaging about 8 km/h (calm).
The calmer part of the year runs from around Sep 16 to May 14, with November the calmest month at about 5 km/h.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wind speed (km/h) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 |
| Feels | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
| Wind speed (km/h) | Feels | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 6 | calm |
| Feb | 6 | calm |
| Mar | 6 | calm |
| Apr | 6 | calm |
| May | 6 | calm |
| Jun | 8 | calm |
| Jul | 8 | calm |
| Aug | 7 | calm |
| Sep | 6 | calm |
| Oct | 5 | calm |
| Nov | 5 | calm |
| Dec | 6 | calm |
Best time to visit Kabul
To characterize how pleasant the weather is in Kabul throughout the year, we compute two travel scores — one for general sightseeing, one for beach and pool weather.
Around late August, Kabul is still near the start of its best-weather window — great conditions with the peak-season crowds not yet at full swing.
Inferred from the travel-score curve; month-by-month visitor numbers are a planned addition.
The travel score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 18°C and 28°C. Based on this score, the best times of year to visit Kabul for general outdoor tourist activities run from late May to early July and again from mid August to mid October, with a peak score in the third week of September.
The travel score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travel score (0–10) | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1.7 | 4.8 | 6.8 | 8.0 | 7.1 | 7.7 | 9.0 | 7.1 | 3.2 | 0.3 |
| Rating | poor | poor | poor | fair | good | ideal | good | ideal | ideal | good | poor | poor |
| Travel score (0–10) | Rating | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 0.0 | poor |
| Feb | 0.0 | poor |
| Mar | 1.7 | poor |
| Apr | 4.8 | fair |
| May | 6.8 | good |
| Jun | 8.0 | ideal |
| Jul | 7.1 | good |
| Aug | 7.7 | ideal |
| Sep | 9.0 | ideal |
| Oct | 7.1 | good |
| Nov | 3.2 | poor |
| Dec | 0.3 | poor |
The beach/pool score favors clear, rainless days with daytime highs between 24°C and 34°C. Based on this score, the best time of year to visit Kabul for hot-weather activities is from early June to late September, with a peak score in the third week of August.
The beach/pool score (filled area), and its constituents: the temperature score (red line), the cloud cover score (blue line), and the precipitation score (green line).
What to pack for Kabul, by month
Month by month, what's worth putting in the bag — from the temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind. Tap a month for a quick packing note.
For a warm-season trip around July (highs near 29°C), the essentials are light clothes and sun protection. In the cold season around January (highs near 1°C), pack a warm layer and a heavy coat.
In July, Kabul sees daytime highs around 29°C and nights near 16°C. Pack light clothes and sun protection.
UV index (midday) in Kabul by month
Clear-sky midday UV index through the year, shaded by the WHO exposure levels — how much sun protection each month calls for.
Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Kabul peaks around June 18 at about 12 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near January 10 at about 3 (moderate).
The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — every month of the year.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV index (midday) | 3 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 7 | 4 | 3 |
| Level | Moderate | High | Very high | Very high | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Extreme | Very high | High | Moderate | Moderate |
| UV index (midday) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3 | Moderate |
| Feb | 5 | High |
| Mar | 8 | Very high |
| Apr | 8 | Very high |
| May | 12 | Extreme |
| Jun | 12 | Extreme |
| Jul | 12 | Extreme |
| Aug | 12 | Extreme |
| Sep | 9 | Very high |
| Oct | 7 | High |
| Nov | 4 | Moderate |
| Dec | 3 | Moderate |
Average hourly UV index in Kabul
Modeled clear-sky UV for every hour of every day — when in the day sun protection actually matters.
The whole year hour by hour: each column is a day, each row an hour, and the color is the modeled clear-sky UV index — the midday peak scaled down as the sun sits lower in the sky. Darker overlays mark night, lighter ones the civil-twilight hours around sunrise and sunset.
UV falls off far faster than brightness as the sun drops, so even in June the burn window is concentrated in the middle of the day: about 9 hours a day reach index 3 (protection recommended), and 6.5 hours reach 6 or more. Mornings and late afternoons stay comparatively gentle year round.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | 1.5 | 5 | 6.5 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 9 | 9 | 8.5 | 7.5 | 6 | 3 | 1.5 |
| UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | 0 | 0 | 3.5 | 4.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6 | 5 | 2.5 | 0 | 0 |
| UV ≥ 3 (h/day) | UV ≥ 6 (h/day) | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 1.5 | 0 |
| Feb | 5 | 0 |
| Mar | 6.5 | 3.5 |
| Apr | 7.5 | 4.5 |
| May | 8.5 | 6.5 |
| Jun | 9 | 6.5 |
| Jul | 9 | 6.5 |
| Aug | 8.5 | 6 |
| Sep | 7.5 | 5 |
| Oct | 6 | 2.5 |
| Nov | 3 | 0 |
| Dec | 1.5 | 0 |
Air quality in Kabul by month
Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see which months the air is worst, not just the yearly average.
Air quality in Kabul is worst in February — around 161 µg/m³ PM2.5 (very unhealthy), about 1.9× the cleanest month (October, 85 µg/m³).
Seasonal pattern from CAMS reanalysis, scaled to Kabul's WHO annual average of 119.8 µg/m³.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | 160 | 161 | 133 | 121 | 126 | 117 | 106 | 98 | 87 | 85 | 107 | 137 |
| Level | Very unhealthy | Very unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy | Unhealthy |
| PM2.5 (µg/m³) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 160 | Very unhealthy |
| Feb | 161 | Very unhealthy |
| Mar | 133 | Unhealthy |
| Apr | 121 | Unhealthy |
| May | 126 | Unhealthy |
| Jun | 117 | Unhealthy |
| Jul | 106 | Unhealthy |
| Aug | 98 | Unhealthy |
| Sep | 87 | Unhealthy |
| Oct | 85 | Unhealthy |
| Nov | 107 | Unhealthy |
| Dec | 137 | Unhealthy |
Growing season
The growing season in Kabul typically lasts about 232 days, from around March 26 to November 12 — the span where a frost-free day is more likely than not. It is reliably frost-free from April 17 to October 28.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frost-free chance (%) | 4 | 7 | 32 | 86 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 97 | 46 | 9 |
| Frost nights | 31 | 28 | 31 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 30 | 31 |
| Frost-free chance (%) | Frost nights | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 4 | 31 |
| Feb | 7 | 28 |
| Mar | 32 | 31 |
| Apr | 86 | 16 |
| May | 100 | 0 |
| Jun | 100 | 0 |
| Jul | 100 | 0 |
| Aug | 100 | 0 |
| Sep | 100 | 0 |
| Oct | 97 | 4 |
| Nov | 46 | 30 |
| Dec | 9 | 31 |
Growing degree days
Growing degree days tally heat above 10°C: each day adds however many degrees its average temperature runs over that threshold, and cold days add nothing. Kabul banks about 1,566 degree days a year, and the running total — which growers use to time plantings and predict maturity — climbs fastest around July.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 172 | 298 | 397 | 376 | 242 | 55 | 0 | 0 |
| Growing degree days (°C·days) | |
|---|---|
| Jan | 0 |
| Feb | 0 |
| Mar | 0 |
| Apr | 25 |
| May | 172 |
| Jun | 298 |
| Jul | 397 |
| Aug | 376 |
| Sep | 242 |
| Oct | 55 |
| Nov | 0 |
| Dec | 0 |
Solar energy
Average daily shortwave solar energy reaching the ground, banded into brightness zones so the number means something at a glance.
Solar energy is how much sunlight actually reaches the ground each day, measured in kilowatt-hours per square metre (kWh/m²) — the combined effect of how long the sun is up, how high it climbs, and how much cloud gets in the way. It's the raw fuel a solar panel has to work with: for scale, 1 kWh/m² a day is dim and wintry, while 7+ is desert-bright.
Kabul receives about 5.8 kWh/m² a day of solar energy on average — bright — with a clear seasonal swing between 3.2 and 8.1 kWh/m².
The brighter stretch of the year lasts 6.2 months, from around Mar 22 to Sep 27. The brightest month is June, averaging about 8.1 kWh/m² (intense).
The dimmest month is December, down near 3.2 kWh/m² — roughly 60% less than the June peak.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | 3.5 | 4.5 | 5.6 | 6.7 | 7.5 | 8.1 | 8.0 | 7.3 | 6.3 | 5.0 | 3.7 | 3.2 |
| Level | Moderate | Bright | Bright | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Intense | Bright | Moderate | Moderate |
| Solar energy (kWh/m²) | Level | |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 3.5 | Moderate |
| Feb | 4.5 | Bright |
| Mar | 5.6 | Bright |
| Apr | 6.7 | Intense |
| May | 7.5 | Intense |
| Jun | 8.1 | Intense |
| Jul | 8.0 | Intense |
| Aug | 7.3 | Intense |
| Sep | 6.3 | Intense |
| Oct | 5.0 | Bright |
| Nov | 3.7 | Moderate |
| Dec | 3.2 | Moderate |
Where is Kabul?
Kabul sits at 34.5°N, 69.2°E, 1,798 m above sea level, in Afghanistan. The nearest listed city is Paghmān, 21 km away.
What Kabul looks like
Topography around Kabul
How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Kabul.
Within 3 km, the terrain around Kabul has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 417 m around an average of 1,824 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,161 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 4,024 m.
The land around Kabul is covered by artificial surfaces (70%) within 3 km, bare terrain (38%) and artificial surfaces (29%) within 16 km, and bare terrain (51%) and grassland (33%) within 80 km.
Afghanistan travel facts
- Travel advisory
- Level 4
- Do Not Travel
- Power plugs
- Type C / F
- 220 V · 50 Hz
- Prices
- ≈ 17% of US
- price level, 2024
- GDP per capita
- $417
- 2024
- Happiness
- 1.4 / 10
- World Happiness, 2025
- Safe drinking water
- 31%
- of population, 2024
- Homicide rate
- 4
- per 100k, 2021
- Road deaths
- 15.9
- per 100k/yr, 2019
- Income group
- Low
- World Bank
- English
- Very low
- EF EPI 446
- Religion
Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.
Data sources
Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Kabul (34.5281°, 69.1723°, elevation 1,798 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).