Manali at an altitude of 2050 m (6726 ft) in the Beas River Valley is a hill station nestled in the mountains of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh near the northern end of the Kullu Valley. It is located about 270 km (168 mi) north of the state capital Shimla. Manali lies in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh state of India. It has become a tourist spot in recent years. Manali is located at 32.2396 N 77.1887 E about 40 km (25 mi) north of Kullu town. The town ranges in elevation from 1800 m (5900 ft) to 2000 m (6600 ft) in the uppermost 'Old Manali'​ section. Manali with a population of approx. 30000 is administratively a part of the Kullu district. The small town is the beginning of an ancient trade route to Ladakh and from there over the Karakoram Pass on to Yarkand and Khotan in the Tarim Basin. The climate in Manali is predominantly cold during winters and moderately cool during summers. The temperatures range from 4 °C (39 °F) to 20 °C (68 °F) over the year. The average temperature during summer is between 04 °C (39 °F) and 15 °C (59 °F) and between −15 °C (5 °F) and 05 °C (41 °F) in the winter. Monthly precipitation varies between 31 mm (1.2 in) in November to 217 mm (8.5 in) in July. In average some 45 mm (1.8 in) of precipitation is received during winter and spring months increasing to some 115 mm (4.5 in) in summer as the monsoon approaches. The average total annual precipitation is 1363 mm (53.7 in). Snowfall often takes place between November end to early February. The weather in manali is not stable.