Himalayan Snowfall Declines, Raising Concerns Over Water Resources

Meteorologists have noted a significant reduction in winter snowfall across the Himalayas, leaving numerous peaks exposed and rocky during the season when they are typically blanketed in snow. Recent data shows that snowfall has frequently dipped below the long-term average logged from 1980 to 2020 over the past five years.

The continuing rise in temperatures is quickening the melt of the limited snow that does accumulate, while lower elevations are increasingly experiencing rainfall rather than snowfall, a shift linked to global warming. This phenomenon is now being referred to as a “snow drought” that impacts substantial regions of the Himalayas.

The swift melting of glaciers due to escalating temperatures has been a longstanding worry for Himalayan states in India and nearby countries. Experts caution that diminishing winter snow exacerbates this ongoing crisis. The decreasing snow and ice drastically alter the mountains’ landscape and affect millions of people depending on these vital water sources and fragile ecosystems.

As winter snowpack gradually melts during spring, it nourishes rivers that are crucial for drinking water, irrigation, and hydropower. A decline in snowfall poses a threat to this essential supply, while diminished winter precipitation raises the likelihood of forest fires due to drier conditions.

Moreover, glaciers and snow serve as natural stabilizers for mountainous regions. Their gradual disappearance results in an increase in natural disasters, such as rockfalls, landslides, glacial lake outbursts, and debris flows.

Meteorologists underscore that this downturn in snowfall is part of a broader trend rather than an isolated event. The Indian Meteorological Department reported minuscule rainfall or snowfall in northern India throughout December. Predictions suggest that from January to March, northwest India—including Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu, Kashmir, and Ladakh—could see precipitation levels plunge by up to 86% compared to the long-period average (LPA).

LPA indicates rainfall and snowfall measurement over a 30 to 50-year period to classify current weather conditions as typical, excessive, or deficient. For North India, the LPA from 1971 to 2020 stood at 184.3 millimeters.

According to Kieran Hunt, a principal research fellow in tropical meteorology at the University of Reading in the UK, “This reduction in winter precipitation is evident across various datasets.” His study, set for 2025 and covering the years 1980 to 2021, indicated a decline in winter precipitation across the western and central Himalayas.

Using ERA-5 reanalysis datasets, Hemant Singh, a research fellow at the Indian Institute of Technology in Jammu, revealed that snowfall in the northwestern Himalayas has decreased by 25% over the last five years in comparison to the average from 1980 to 2020.

Nepal, housing the central Himalayas, has also seen notable declines. “There has been virtually no rainfall since October, and this winter is predicted to remain largely dry—this pattern has been consistent for the last five years,” noted Binod Pokharel, associate professor at Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu.

While some winters have witnessed heavy snowfall in select areas, these instances are outliers rather than the steady, uniform snowfalls typical of prior decades, meteorologists observed.