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Informist, Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026

MUMBAI – The mountain ranges across northern India and their adjacent regions have seen a dry winter so far due to an unusual snow deficit, private weather agency Skymet said Tuesday. The lack of winter snow cover over the mountains, irrespective of them being in the Eurasian or Himalayan region, could adversely impact the southwest monsoon in 2026, the weather agency said.

The mountain ranges in northern India, which include the Himalayan range, recorded a 100% snow deficit in December. This region includes Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. The dry spell has continued in January as well, leaving traditionally snow-covered peaks dark and exposed, the agency said.

The lack of snowfall is most likely the outcome of weak western disturbances, the agency said. The formation and passage of western disturbances during the ongoing winter season has been irregular, infrequent, and non-delivering, it said. The weather system's "deviation from the stipulated path and persistently failing tracks have led to snow droughts, endangering climate variability," it said.

According to various studies, there is an inverse relationship between the winter and spring snow accumulation in the Himalayas and subsequent southwest monsoon rainfall, especially in northern India. Due to the existence of such a relationship, the snow accumulation in the Himalayas up to the end of May is at times taken as a predictor in forecasting summer monsoon rainfall in India.

The land-sea thermal contrast is the basic forcing mechanism driving monsoon currents. A high-pressure zone normally forms over the cold, snow-covered northern India or Eurasia during winter, while the Indian Ocean is warmer. As the season turns, this contrast flips, creating a low-pressure area over India that sucks in moisture-laden winds from the Indian Ocean.

Less winter snow means higher surface temperatures over the Himalayas and northern India in late winter or spring. This reduces the temperature gradient, or difference, between the Indian landmass and the Indian Ocean. A weaker thermal gradient reduces the intensity of the southwest monsoon winds.

While northern India and its mountain ranges have experienced lack of snow and precipitation during winters in previous years, the absolute lack of snow cover could be worrying, the weather agency said. A wet spell over the northern plains and mountains is likely in the next fortnight, which could mitigate the adverse impact of the dry winter season so far, the agency said. However, "inadequate snow on the slopes and peaks, lacking endurance," remains a worrying feature for the upcoming southwest monsoon, the weather agency said.  End

Reported by Shreya Shetty

Edited by Nishant Maher

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