Exclusive: Unexpected! Gulmarg in Kashmir, Snow Deficit This Winter Season.
In 2024, the Kashmir Valley is going through a highly peculiar time. The valley is experiencing an extremely dry stretch in January, right in the middle of the harsh winter season.
Both passionate tourists and locals are alarmed and concerned about the situation.
The valley’s decreased snowfall has raised concerns about probable water shortages and a decline in tourist foot traffic, both of which could have a significant negative influence on the locals’ everyday lives and the ecosystem.
This year, there has also been less snowfall at Gulmarg, a well-liked tourist spot in the valley. As a result, prominent tourist destinations are experiencing dry weather. Visitors to Gulmarg are sad not to have experienced the characteristic winter charm of the area.
The Jammu and Kashmir Met Department reports that there has been a decrease in precipitation and that there won’t be any noteworthy weather till January 14 with mostly cloudy conditions on January 9.
“The entire month of December and the first week of January has been dry,” said Mukhtar Ahmad, Director of the Kashmir Meteorological Center, to ANI in light of the current circumstances. There is not a significant possibility of precipitation in the upcoming days. It might stay dry until January 16 at midday. For the past three to four years, there has been an early snowfall trend that is absent this year. There’s not a powerful spell. El Nino has been around since November and can remain around till the following month.
It Is predicted that the valley will get dry weather through January 20. Weather experts report that there has been no snowfall on the plains and below-average snowfall in the steep areas.
Experts also think that the situation could cause the Kashmir valley to experience a water shortage. It might potentially result in a food catastrophe. Similar to Gulmarg, popular tourist spots like Pahalgam and Sonmarg have also experienced a lack of winter snowfall. Snowfall is said to have fallen in the valley on December 30 and 31, 2022, and January 4, 2023.
