New Delhi: Kufri, a resort hill station in the Shimla district received very light spell of Snowfall which lasted just for few mins due to Western Disturbance. Taking to Twitter, Weatherman Shubham shared the video of the light spell of the snowfall. The Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are witnessing an unusually dry and warm winter, with almost no snowfall in the popular tourist destinations and the high-altitude areas.
Amateur meteorologist ‘Weatherman Shubham’ posted on X on Saturday along with a video of a very light spell of snowfall in Kufri, a resort hill station in the Shimla district, which lasted just for a few minutes.
Very light spell of Snowfall in Kufri , just for few mins due to Western Disturbance pic.twitter.com/lnYuB3zESM
— Weatherman Shubham (@shubhamtorres09) January 9, 2024
Western Disturbances Fail To Bring Relief
Another factor that contributes to the snowfall in the Himalayan region is the Western Disturbances (WDs), which are low-pressure systems that bring moisture-laden winds from the Mediterranean region. However, the WDs have been largely absent or weak this winter, resulting in dry and clear weather conditions in the northwest India.
The weather department in Shimla has forecasted a spell of wet weather for Himachal Pradesh on January 9 and 10, with chances of rain and snowfall in various parts of the state, but it is unlikely to make much difference.
Tourism Hit By Lack Of Snowfall
The lack of snowfall has also affected the tourism industry in the Himalayan states, as many visitors flock to the hill stations to enjoy the winter wonderland. In Kashmir, popular tourist destinations such as Gulmarg and Pahalgam have received almost no snow while the hills have below-average snowfall, disappointing tourists and locals alike.
The situation is similar in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where places that would ideally have a minimum of four-to-six feet thick snow by now hardly have any snow.The Border Roads Organisation (BRO), which struggles with snow clearance operations in tough weather conditions to keep the strategically located 11,800 feet altitude Zojila Pass open, has had it easier this year.
“Zojila Pass connects Kashmir with Ladakh and is important for maintaining the supply chain logistics for the troops posted in forward areas in Ladakh. Generally, it has a minimum of 30-40 feet of snow around this time but there is barely six-seven feet of snow now,” said Lt Gen Rajeev Chaudhry, former BRO director general.
“It is possible the pass will remain open for traffic for a week more because of less snow,” he said. The unusually long dry spell has also meant that the northwest plains, Punjab, Haryana and Delhi-NCR, have seen their share of foggy ‘cold’ and ‘severe cold’ days, but there have been no ‘cold wave’ conditions yet.