Heavy snowfall likely in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh between Jan 28 and Jan 31: IMD

The western Himalayan region is poised to witness its first significant snowfall of the season, thanks to two consecutive western disturbances. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted that starting Sunday, these weather systems will bring heavy snowfall to the area. 

This comes after a notably barren winter for the mountain peaks in the region, attributed to a lack of active western disturbances, which are typically responsible for bringing unseasonal rainfall to northwest India.

Western disturbances are extratropical storms that originate over the Mediterranean Sea and gain moisture as they pass over the Arabian Sea. When they reach the Indian subcontinent, they mix with cold air from the North Pole, resulting in precipitation. 

These disturbances are particularly influential during the winter months, causing moderate to heavy rain in low-lying areas and heavy snow in the mountains. They play a crucial role in the cultivation of Rabi crops due to the winter rains they bring to the plains.

The IMD has indicated that the first of these disturbances will affect the western Himalayan region from January 28 to January 31, bringing isolated heavy rainfall and snowfall to Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, and light to moderate scattered rainfall and snowfall to Uttarakhand. Additionally, light rainfall is expected over Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, and west Uttar Pradesh from January 31 to February 2.

This anticipated snowfall is critical as the precipitation deficit thus far has implications for fresh water availability, horticulture, and agricultural production in the Himalayan region. The lack of active western disturbances earlier in the season was also linked to El Niño conditions, which involve abnormal warming of surface waters in the central Pacific Ocean.

"Light/moderate isolated to scattered rainfall/snowfall is very likely over Uttarakhand and light rainfall over Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, west Uttar Pradesh from January 31 to February 2," the Met office said in a statement. 

With inputs from PTI

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