Get ready for a freezing winter. This year may be the third coldest in 110 years. Nearly 86% of the high Himalayas are already covered in snow, two months earlier than usual.
A recent Western Disturbance has pushed temperatures across the Himalayas 2 to 3 degrees below freezing. The fresh snow is not melting, and scientists say this is a good sign.
Dr. Manish Mehta, senior scientist at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Research, said, โThis early and widespread snowfall is a positive sign. It shows that the glaciers are getting a chance to recover.โ
He explained that La Niรฑa is becoming active in December.
โLa Niรฑa is a seasonal weather pattern marked by cooler-than-normal sea temperatures in the Pacific Ocean. It often brings increased rainfall and colder weather to India,โ Dr. Mehta was quoted as saying in Dainik Bhaskar.
Temperatures above 4,000 feet are now around minus 15ยฐC or lower. Dr. Mehta added,
He further said, โDue to La Niรฑa, the average temperature in northern, central, and eastern India may drop by another 3 to 4 degrees. If this trend continues, December 2025 could be the third coldest winter in the last 110 years.โ
The same pattern is visible from Nepal to Kashmir. Snow covers the Himalayas from Sikkim to Himachal Pradesh. The snow catchment area has expanded, which will help glaciers recharge.
Dr. Mehta noted, โBecause of the low temperatures, the snow is not melting this time. This will recharge the glaciers for the next five years. The main water sources for North Indian rivers will stay active.โ
Cold conditions have already reached the plains. Bhopalโs minimum temperature dropped to 15.8ยฐC, 3.6ยฐC below normal, one of the lowest in 26 years for October. Rajasthanโs Sikar recorded a night temperature below 15ยฐC.
Over the past 122 years, Indiaโs average surface temperature has risen by 0.99ยฐC. But Dr. Mehta said it could fall slightly next year.
โBy the end of 2025, the global temperature may drop by about 0.2ยฐC due to La Niรฑa. We are entering a colder phase,โ he said.
The early snowfall signals a long, harsh winter ahead.
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