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Himalayas lose winter snow at alarming rate
The Himalayan range, typically blanketed in snow during winter, now stands largely bare and rocky, meteorologists report. Over the past five years, most winters have recorded below-average snowfall compared to 1980-2020 levels, with rising temperatures accelerating melt and shifting precipitation from snow to rain in lower elevations.
Scientific data confirms long-term decline
Recent studies reveal a persistent "snow drought" across the region. A 2025 analysis co-authored by Kieran Hunt, principal research fellow at the University of Reading, examined four datasets spanning 1980-2021 and found consistent declines in precipitation in the western and central Himalayas. Hemant Singh, a research fellow at the Indian Institute of Technology in Jammu, reported a 25% drop in snowfall over the past five years compared to the 40-year average.
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) recorded a 23-year low in snow persistence-the duration snow remains on the ground-during the 2024-2025 winter, with levels nearly 24% below normal. Four of the last five winters showed below-average persistence, linked to reduced snowfall and warmer temperatures.
Water security at risk for two billion people
Snowmelt from the Himalayas feeds 12 major river basins, supplying drinking water, irrigation, and hydropower to nearly two billion people. With snowpack contributing roughly a quarter of annual runoff, diminished snowfall threatens both short-term water availability and long-term glacial stability. ICIMOD warns that anomalies in snow persistence directly impact water security across the region.
India's Meteorological Department recorded no precipitation in northern India during December, with forecasts predicting an 86% deficit in rainfall and snowfall for January-March in states like Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and the territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The long-period average (LPA) for north India's winter precipitation stands at 184.3 millimeters (1971-2020).
Extreme weather and geological hazards rise
Beyond water shortages, reduced snowfall heightens risks of forest fires due to drier conditions. Melting glaciers and declining snowpack also destabilize mountain slopes, increasing the frequency of rockfalls, landslides, and glacial lake outburst floods. Experts note these disasters are already becoming more common.
While some recent winters have seen isolated heavy snowfall, these events are extreme and unevenly distributed, failing to compensate for overall declines. Nepal, for instance, has recorded virtually no rainfall since October, with meteorologists predicting a largely dry winter-consistent with trends over the past five years.
Weakening weather systems behind the shift
Meteorologists attribute the decline in snowfall to weakening westerly disturbances-low-pressure systems originating in the Mediterranean that historically brought winter rain and snow to northern India, Pakistan, and Nepal. The Indian weather department described this winter's disturbances as "feeble," generating minimal precipitation.
"We think two things are happening: westerly disturbances are becoming weaker, and they may be tracking slightly further north. Both factors limit their ability to draw moisture from the Arabian Sea, resulting in weaker precipitation," Hunt explained.
Kieran Hunt, University of Reading
Studies offer mixed findings on changes in these systems, but Hunt emphasized their critical role: "The change in winter precipitation must be related to westerly disturbances, since they drive the majority of winter precipitation in the Himalayas."
Double crisis looms for the region
The Himalayas now face a compounded threat: rapid glacier loss coupled with shrinking snowfall. Experts warn this combination will have severe consequences for ecosystems, agriculture, and urban water supplies. While scientists continue investigating the causes of declining precipitation, the immediate impacts are already evident.
"Just when the region is losing its glaciers and icefields at an accelerated pace, it's also receiving less snow," one researcher noted. "The stakes couldn't be higher."
