<P> Most of Northeast India and much of North India are subject to a humid subtropical climate . Though they experience hot summers, temperatures during the coldest months may fall as low as 0 ° C (32 ° F). Due to ample monsoon rains, India has only one subtype of this climate under the Köppen system: Cwa . In most of this region, there is very little precipitation during the winter, owing to powerful anticyclonic and katabatic (downward - flowing) winds from Central Asia . </P> <P> Humid subtropical regions are subject to pronounced dry winters . Winter rainfall--and occasionally snowfall--is associated with large storm systems such as "Nor'westers" and "Western disturbances"; the latter are steered by westerlies towards the Himalayas . Most summer rainfall occurs during powerful thunderstorms associated with the southwest summer monsoon; occasional tropical cyclones also contribute . Annual rainfall ranges from less than 1,000 millimetres (39 in) in the west to over 2,500 millimetres (98 in) in parts of the northeast . As most of this region is far from the ocean, the wide temperature swings more characteristic of a continental climate predominate; the swings are wider than in those in tropical wet regions, ranging from 24 ° C (75 ° F) in north - central India to 27 ° C (81 ° F) in the east . </P> <P> India's northernmost areas are subject to a montane, or alpine, climate . In the Himalayas, the rate at which an air mass's temperature falls per kilometre (3,281 ft) of altitude gained (the dry adiabatic lapse rate) is 9.8 ° C / km . In terms of environmental lapse rate, ambient temperatures fall by 6.5 ° C (11.7 ° F) for every 1,000 metres (3,281 ft) rise in altitude . Thus, climates ranging from nearly tropical in the foothills to tundra above the snow line can coexist within several hundred metres of each other . Sharp temperature contrasts between sunny and shady slopes, high diurnal temperature variability, temperature inversions, and altitude - dependent variability in rainfall are also common . </P> <P> The northern side of the western Himalayas, also known as the trans - Himalayan belt, has a cold desert climate . It is a region of barren, arid, frigid and wind - blown wastelands . Areas south of the Himalayas are largely protected from cold winter winds coming in from the Asian interior . The leeward side (northern face) of the mountains receives less rain . </P>

Describe main characteristics of hot weather season in india