Why Is the Himalaya Snowless in Peak Winter And Has This Happened Before?

Imagine driving up to Auli or Shimla in January, the roads snaking higher into the Himalaya, and instead of snowy ridges and sparkling white hills, you see bare rock and brown grass. 

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The peaks that usually glow under winter sunlight remain dark and exposed. This winter, what should have been a peak snow season has been painfully dry.

Uttarakhand’s mountains logged virtually zero snowfall and rainfall in December, leaving slopes snow-free well into January. Accommodation in winter hubs like Auli has plummeted as tourists cancel trips, after the news of snowless mountains circulated.

This isn’t just about missing snowflakes or skiing. For India, a nation whose rivers, water systems and millions of livelihoods depend on Himalayan snow, this absence matters profoundly.

What is a ‘snow drought’?

Snow in the western Himalaya, from Jammu & Kashmir to Uttarakhand, normally arrives with western disturbances. These are extratropical storms that travel from the Mediterranean and bring winter moisture to Northern India.

When these systems are strong and frequent, they produce rain in the plains and snow in the mountains. This winter, however, the western disturbances were weak and irregular.

At meteorological stations like the Tungnath peaks in Uttarakhand, snow has simply not accumulated at all in January 2026, an unusual event not seen since weather observations began in 1985.

In parts of Jammu & Kashmir, snow deficits exceeded 45% in December 2025 compared with normal winter levels.

Scientists describe this as part of a ‘snow drought’, a recurring pattern in which several winters in a row receive below-normal snowfall.

Why snow is declining: natural variability and global warming

Natural climate variability refers to the normal fluctuations in weather patterns over months or years, such as changes in the strength and path of western disturbances. Some winters may naturally receive less snow due to these variations.

Human-driven global warming, caused by rising greenhouse gas emissions, warms the atmosphere and reduces the likelihood of snow at lower elevations.

Warmer air also speeds up melting. Together, these factors mean that even when storms bring moisture, more precipitation falls as rain instead of snow, shortening snow seasons and deepening the Himalayan snow drought.

This combination of weaker western disturbances, warmer temperatures, and shifting precipitation patterns has resulted in reduced snow accumulation this year and the ongoing trend of declining snow cover across the western Himalaya.

Is this a one-off event — or has it happened before?

The stark answer from climate science is clear: this is not just a one-off event.

A report from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, a scientific body studying the entire Hindu Kush-Himalaya region, shows that the 2024–2025 winter had snow persistence (the duration snow stays on the ground) at its lowest level in 23 years.

Snow persistence has been below the long-term average for four of the past five winters, signalling a trend rather than a random dry spell.

Glaciologists like Dr Manish Mehta, senior scientist at the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, have noted patterns like snowfall arriving late, melting faster, and being less reliable, even in traditionally snow-rich regions.

Adding to this, a recent Nature publication co-authored by researchers from IIT-Jammu and IIT-Mandi documented a rising number of snow drought events across Himalayan river basins, confirming the decline in snow cover.

All of this suggests the pattern we’re witnessing: weak winter precipitation, shrinking snow cover, and rising snowlines. This is not a one-off event, but increasingly the new normal for a warming Himalayan region.

Why does snow matter to India?

Snow is India’s natural water reservoir, as it releases water through spring and summer to feed the Ganga, Indus, Brahmaputra and their tributaries. These rivers support drinking water, irrigation, hydropower, and many industries. 

When snowfall declines, river flows turn erratic, either too little in dry months or sudden surges at other times.

Snow also keeps mountain soils moist and temperatures stable. Without it, forests dry out, and wildfire risk rises, as seen in Uttarakhand. 

Farmers feel the strain too, apple orchards in Himachal Pradesh need long winter cold for healthy fruit. The lack of snow means a poor apple harvest.

Snow further protects fragile slopes. Bare mountains erode faster, increasing landslides and road damage.

For urban and rural Indians alike, vanishing snow means uncertain water taps, volatile food prices, weaker hill tourism and greater disaster risks. These are changes that shape everyday life far beyond the mountains.

The missing snow is a reminder that the Himalaya’s rhythms are shifting. It call for smarter water planning, support for mountain communities and climate-aware choices. Protecting the snow today means steadier rivers, safer hills, and more secure lives tomorrow.

Sources

‘Risk of water shortages builds-up as Hindu Kush Himalaya faces 23-year-record-low snow persistence in the third consecutive year of below-normal seasonal snow’: by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development for ICIMOD Press Release, Published on 21 April 2025.

‘Climate change threatens Hindu Kush glaciers, posing water crisis for 2 billion, warn experts’: by Narendra Sethi for The New Indian Express, Published on 16 March 2025

‘Vanishing Himalayan snowfall a consistent trend, not one-off phenomena: Experts’: by Gaurav Talwar for Times of India, Published on 4 January 2026

‘No rain, no snow: Dec driest in a decade in Uttarakhand’: by Gaurav Talwar for Times of India, Published on 2 January 2026

‘Snow droughts rising across Himalayas, IIT study warns Asia may run dry’: by Gaurav Talwar for Times of India, Published on 5 December 2025

‘Low snow on the Himalayas threatens water security: Study’: by Times of India, 17 June 2024