Snowfall Over Higher Reaches: Rain -Showers Over Plains Of North India

Key takeaways:

• A fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect North India from the late evening of October 10, bringing rain and thundershowers.
• Rainfall activity will peak between October 11 and 13, with cloudy to overcast skies across the hills and adjoining plains.
• Snowfall will remain restricted to higher Himalayan elevations above 15,000 feet, while Delhi may witness stray showers.
• Rainfall and snowfall will decrease around October 14–15, setting the stage for an early wintry feel across North India.
• Forecast Validity: Next one week.

Under the influence of a Western Disturbance, the hills and plains of North India witnessed scattered rain and thundershowers in the past 24 hours. In the plains, rainfall was very light and remained mostly confined along the foothills. Jammu, Amritsar, Kangra, Dharamsala and Dehradun received light rainfall. Srinagar, Batote, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Manali and Kalpa witnessed light to moderate rainfall. The weather system has moved eastward and cleared the mountains. A fresh Western Disturbance is likely sometime during the late hours tomorrow, and weather activity will resume over both the hills and the plains.

The Western Disturbance arriving during the late hours tomorrow will have the support of a cyclonic circulation over the border areas of Punjab, North Rajasthan and the adjoining Pakistan region. Such a duo inherently helps each other to sustain and restrict any quick movement. Under their combined influence, weather activity is likely simultaneously over the hills and plains of North India. The wet spell, though not very heavy, will get extended from weekend to weekend.

Mild weather activity will start during the late evening/night of 10th October. The combined influence of the two systems will consolidate, and the spread of activity will increase. The intensity will continue to be light and, at best, moderate at some places. Between 11th and 13th October, cloudy to mainly overcast skies with scattered rain and thundershowers are likely, with only a few gaps over the hills and the plains. Snowfall activity will be confined to the higher reaches and elevated peaks beyond 15,000 feet. Rainfall and snowfall activity will reduce on 14th and 15th October. In the plains, it will be confined along the foothills, with very little extension elsewhere.

In the plains, the locations favoured for weather activity will include Amritsar, Pathankot, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala, Mohali, Karnal, Ambala, Kurukshetra, Panchkula, Chandigarh, Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Anupgarh and adjoining parts. Very light showers may even reach Firozpur, Fazilka, Sirsa, Rohtak and Yamunanagar. The national capital, Delhi, is also likely to get a few stray showers. The rainfall and snowfall amounts, as such, may not be big, but the weather activity will set the tone for an early wintry flavour over North India.