Northern mountains are coming up for rain and snow during this week. Two western disturbances in quick succession will blanket the region white, much needed after the scary shortfall across the hills. The first spell will be shorter and milder, between the 04th and 05th of February. The subsequent one between 08th and 11th Feb will have large scale and coverage, across lower, middle and higher reaches of the hilly states.
The mountains so far have witnessed a terrible winter. There is a large deficit across the hilly states and the Union Territory of Ladakh. Between 01st Jan and 02nd Feb 2025, the states of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have a huge deficiency of 83%, 84% and 88%, respectively. The outdoor winter games from 22nd to 25th Feb 2025 in the Pahalgam region have high stakes on the successful conduct of the event. A deep layer of snow is an essential requisite for the desired show of the annual event.
The first western disturbance between 04th and 05th Feb will set the stage for a bigger and stronger spell around the weekend. The intensity and spread will be large and stay longer across the mountain ranges, more so for Kashmir Valley and Himachal Pradesh. The Garhwal Division of Uttarakhand will be at more risk of inclement weather than the Kumaon region.
The intensity and spread of rain and snowfall will be more on 10th and 11th Feb 2025, as compared to the first two days, on 08th and 09th Feb. Low and mid reaches of Jammu & Kashmir will cover Srinagar, Sonamarg, Pahalgam and Gulmarg with a decent spread of a white sheet of snow. In Himachal Pradesh, Keylong and Manali will get moderate snowfall, whereas Dalhousie, Dharamsala, Shimla, Kufri will witness a mix of rain and snow. The mid and higher regions of Uttarakhand, like Chamoli, Joshimath, Kedarnath and Badrinath, will get fairly widespread snowfall. The lower and medium locations like Mukteshwar, Darchula, Mussoorie, Nainital, Pauri and Tehri Garhwal will get more rain and thundershowers and less snow. Hailstorms are quite likely in some areas across the northern mountains during this period.
