Gangtok enjoys a mild, temperate climate all year round. Like most Himalayan towns, Gangtok has five seasons: summer, monsoons, autumn, winter and spring. Temperatures range from a high of 25 °C (77° F) in summer to a low of about 3 °C (37 °F) in winter. Snowfall is rare, and in recent times Gangtok has received snow only in 1990, 2004 and 2005. During spring and autumn the weather is generally sunny and mild. Owing to its elevation, Gangtok is often enveloped in fog during the monsoon and winter months. Between June and September (the monsoon months), the rain often causes landslides in the area. These landslides can result in the town being cut off from other parts of Sikkim.
the tiesta
Flora around Gangtok includes temperate, deciduous forests of poplar, birch, oak, and elm, as well as evergreen, coniferous trees of the wet alpine. Densely forested regions of these evergreens lie just around the town. A wide variety of rare orchids are often featured in flower shows around the city. Sunflower, marigold, poinsettia, and other flowers bloom in November and December. Bamboo grows in abundance along the slopes of Gangtok, providing a perennial source of spring water, which originates from the roots of the trees. In the lower reaches of the town, the vegetation graduates from alpine to subtropical and temperate deciduous.
