Because of its high altitude (over 4,500 meters above sea level) and arid location thousands of kilometers from any ocean and in the rain shadow of the Himalayas and other mountain, the climate of the reserve is Cold desert climate (Köppen climate classification BWk ). This climate is characterized by hot, dry summers, and very cold, dry winters. At the highest elevations, the climate is a Polar climate (Koppen ET) with cooler summers but still cold and dry in the winter.