The winter of 2023-24 has been the third consecutive year without any major December snowfall and a prolonged dry spell. Weak Western Disturbances from mid-November to the second week of January are being pegged as the reasons behind this weather pattern by meteorological experts.
Barring Atal Tunnel, snow so far has eluded the hills, adding to the worries of fruit growers and those associated with the hospitality industry.
Climate change might be resulting in the unusual climatic pattern, said MeT’ Shimla centre director Surender Paul, adding that weak Western Disturbance have also added to the phenomenon. “This time, jet streams descended more on the northern latitude than the south, and the interaction between the air from the poles was weak, which resulted in dry weather conditions,” Paul added.
“Typically, active disturbances result from the convergence of cold air from the North Pole and hot air from the Mediterranean region. However, this time, the wind at the North Pole is exceptionally low, and a dominant low-pressure area hinders the advancement of winds,” he added.
Himachal recorded the lowest rainfall during December in eight years, with a deficit of 85%.
{{/usCountry}}Himachal recorded the lowest rainfall during December in eight years, with a deficit of 85%.
{{/usCountry}}Against a normal of 38.1mm, the state recorded 5.8mm rainfall in December last year. In December 2016, Himachal recorded only 3mm rainfall. Between 2004 and 2023, the state recorded above-average December precipitation in 2010, 2017, and 2019. All the other years have reported rainfall lower than the normal. In October 2023, the state reported 45% rainfall deficient as well.
In January, however, Himachal is experiencing an unusual weather pattern after a 17-year hiatus, characterised by minimal chances of rain and snowfall. The state is grappling with arid conditions throughout the month, with only slight prospects of light snowfall in higher regions such as Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti, Chamba, Kullu and Shimla.The state reported 100% rain deficit in the first eight days of January.