Pathankot's best seasons are October to March, when the weather is clear and mild and the Shivalik hills are at their greenest after the monsoon. Winter mornings can be cold and foggy — December and January sometimes bring frost and dense fog that delays trains and road travel, so factor that in if you are moving on to the mountains.
The monsoon arrives in late June and continues through September, bringing heavy rainfall. The Ranjit Sagar reservoir fills dramatically during this period, but roads can wash out and the dam viewpoints are sometimes inaccessible. Avoid the peak of the monsoon if you are planning to explore the Shahpur Kandi gorge.
April and May are hot and dry — temperatures climb into the high 30s — but this is also when Pathankot sees the most transit traffic, as families head for the hill stations before the monsoon.