Himalayan Snow Drought: Uttarakhand Peaks Barren, But Relief Nears!

• Uttarakhand's high peaks, including Kedarnath and Badrinath, remain barren with no significant snowfall despite late December.
• Lack of snow disappoints tourists, impacts local businesses, farmers, and horticulturists, leading to an unusually mild winter.
• Weather expert Professor Dr. Chandramohan attributes the snow drought to continuous weak Western Disturbances.
• IMD predicts a moderate Western Disturbance from Dec 31st to Jan 2nd, bringing heavy snowfall to northern mountains and rain to plains.
• While some link the change to climate change, IMD notes dry Nov/Dec is not unprecedented (e.g., 2020, 2023), with snow often arriving in January.

Why It Matters: Uttarakhand faces a snow drought, impacting tourism and agriculture, but snowfall is predicted soon.