This Year, Gulmarg Is Without Snow? A video from Kashmir Town shows dry ground
There are worries about how global warming may affect India’s winters after Gulmarg, a popular winter vacation spot that draws skiers from all across the nation, experienced very little snow this season.
The charming village seems dry and desolate in a video that news agency ANI uploaded on X, with only a few patches of snow showing on the ground. Not only did Gulmarg receive less snow than usual, but Pahalgam in Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand were also affected.
There isn’t much snow in places that typically get four to six feet of snow because of the protracted dry period.
An eye-catching image of Gulmarg taken a year ago shows the region completely covered in snow, with not a blade of grass showing. The area doesn’t seem to be covered with snow this year, suggesting that it is dry.
Why is the winter in Gulmarg dry?
The tourist resort saw a dry spell this winter, according to the meteorological office, with the Kashmir Valley experiencing a 79% decrease in rainfall and very little snowfall.
It has been dry for the whole month of December and the first week of January. There is not a significant possibility of precipitation in the upcoming days. It could stay dry until January 16 at midday. For the past three to four years, there has been an early snowfall trend that is absent this year. There’s not a powerful spell. El Nino has been ongoing since November and could go until next month, according to Mukhtar Ahmad, Director of the Kashmir Meteorological Center, who spoke with ANI.
The meteorological bureau states that as the dry weather is projected to last into next month, no quick respite is anticipated.
The little snowfall is a result of the current El Nino weather pattern, which is what made 2023 the hottest year on record, according to meteorologists. The El Niño impact is typified by an increase in sea surface temperatures, which has the potential to disturb worldwide weather patterns. In 2024, the weather phenomena is probably going to make it hotter as well.
The absence of western disturbances, which bring rain to the plains and snowfall in the upper elevations, has prevented significant snowfall thus far this month, according to the India Meteorological Department.
India will have a delayed and brief winter this season, according to Mahesh Palawat, vice president of Skymet Weather, who spoke with NDTV.
“Western disturbances often start in October, with significant snowfall and harsh winter conditions in the north during the last two months of the year. The snowfall is decreasing at this time, and these disruptions are lessening. Every year, the temperature rises from October to February, resulting in shorter winters,” he stated.
Impact of tourism
The main source of income for this Himalayan town is tourism, with many visitors coming here in the winter to indulge in snow activities. Since there isn’t any snow on the ground, travelers are starting to postpone their journeys to Gulmarg. With almost 1.65 million visitors, the tourist town saw its biggest foot traffic last year.
The lack of snowfall may also have an impact on the Khelo India Winter Games, which begin on February 2.
It might have a significant domino impact on socioeconomic activity if it goes on much longer. glaciologist and Himalayan researcher AN Dimri told news agency PTI that “if you don’t get (enough) snow, you don’t get replenishment of water, which will impact agriculture, your health, and can, in turn, impact your economy.”
