Himachal finally sees first snow after barren Himalayan winter

Himachal Pradesh on Friday notched its first snowfall of the season, snapping a dry stretch that lasted almost three months and offering a brief lift to the state’s tourist economy.

The relief was sharper because much of the western Himalayas, including Himachal, Kashmir and Uttarakhand, have endured an unusually snow-starved winter linked to a weakened western disturbance pattern, raising alarms among scientists over water security, apple orchards, ski tourism and the region’s fragile climate.

Videos from Kothi, Manali and Kufri flooded social media, with visitors dubbing the scenes a “winter wonderland” and sharing clips of snow battles and quietly dusted pine forests. Several posts on X came with a different message: slow down on the bends, as roads were turning slick.

According to the Shimla Meteorological Centre, Kothi village near Manali topped the charts with 15 cm of snow. In the high-altitude tribal belt of Lahaul and Spiti, Gondla reported 12 cm, Kukumseri 6.8 cm and Hansa 5 cm. Jubbal in Shimla district logged 6 cm, Manali 4.8 cm, while Keylong and Kufri recorded 4 cm each. Shimla city saw only a light dusting at 0.6 cm.

Forecasts suggest the higher reaches could continue to receive snow until 24 January, although most lower areas are expected to stay largely dry — a continuation of the broader precipitation deficit that has defined the winter so far.

District administrations moved quickly to clear the main roads, but urged residents and travellers to avoid unnecessary journeys in freshly affected zones. For now, the brief burst of snow has offered a postcard reprieve from a winter that, across the Himalayas, has looked more like an extended autumn than the storied season of white.

With PTI inputs