The majestic Himalayas are facing a silent crisis: significantly less winter snowfall. This isn't just about a lack of picturesque snow-capped peaks; it's a critical issue with far-reaching consequences. Meteorologists are sounding the alarm, revealing a stark reality: the mountains are increasingly bare and rocky during a season when they should be draped in white.
Over the last five years, most winters have seen a noticeable drop in snowfall compared to the average between 1980 and 2020. But this is just the beginning.
Rising temperatures accelerate snowmelt, and lower-elevation areas are experiencing more rain instead of snow. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and other scientific reports attribute these changes, at least partially, to global warming. This phenomenon is creating what's known as a "snow drought" in many parts of the Himalayan region.
But here's where it gets controversial... The accelerated melting of glaciers has long been a major concern, and now, the dwindling snowfall is exacerbating the problem. Experts warn that the reduction in ice and snow will reshape the Himalayas and impact the lives of hundreds of millions of people and many ecosystems.
During spring, snowmelt is a crucial source for the region's rivers and streams, providing water for drinking, irrigation, and hydropower. Less winter precipitation also increases the risk of devastating forest fires due to dry conditions. Vanishing glaciers and declining snowfall destabilize mountains, increasing the frequency of rockfalls, landslides, and glacial lake outbursts.
So, how serious is this drop in snowfall, really?
The Indian Meteorological Department recorded no precipitation—rainfall and snowfall—in almost all of northern India in December. They predict that many areas in northwest India, including Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and the federally administered territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, will see 86% less rainfall and snowfall between January and March than the long-period average (LPA). LPA is the average rainfall or snow recorded over 30 to 50 years. For North India, the LPA rainfall between 1971 and 2020 was 184.3 millimeters.
Meteorologists emphasize that this sharp drop isn't a one-off event. Kieran Hunt, a research fellow at the University of Reading in the UK, confirms that there is strong evidence across different datasets showing a decrease in winter precipitation in the Himalayas. A study he co-authored, which included four different datasets from 1980 to 2021, revealed a decrease in precipitation in the western and part of the central Himalayas. Hemant Singh, a research fellow at the Indian Institute of Technology in Jammu, using datasets from ERA-5, found that snowfall in the northwestern Himalayas has decreased by 25% in the past five years compared to the 40-year long-term average (1980-2020).
Nepal is also experiencing a significant drop in winter precipitation. Binod Pokharel, associate professor of meteorology at Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu, notes that Nepal has had zero rainfall since October, and the rest of the winter is expected to remain largely dry, mirroring the trend of the last five years. However, some winters have seen heavy, isolated snowfalls, rather than the consistent precipitation of the past.
Another way scientists assess the decrease in snowfall is by measuring snow persistence, which is how long snow remains on the ground without melting. The 2024-2025 winter saw a 23-year record low of nearly 24% below-normal snow persistence, according to a report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). The report also highlighted that four of the past five winters between 2020 and 2025 saw below-normal snow persistence in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region.
Sravan Shrestha, a senior associate with ICIMOD, states that this is consistent with decreased winter precipitation and snowfall in a significant portion of the HKH region. A study co-authored by Singh from the IIT in Jammu, published in 2025, shows that the Himalayan region is increasingly experiencing snow droughts, particularly between 3,000 and 6,000 meters elevations. The ICIMOD snow update report warns that anomalies in seasonal snow persistence affect the water security of nearly two billion people across these river basins, as snowmelt contributes about a fourth of the total annual runoff of 12 major river basins in the region.
And this is the part most people miss... Melting glaciers pose long-term water scarcity risks, and reduced snowfall and faster snowmelt threaten near-term water supplies.
Most meteorologists attribute the reduced rainfall and occasional snow to weakening westerly disturbances, which bring cold air from the Mediterranean. These disturbances used to bring significant rain and snowfall, but their weakening affects the region's precipitation. Some studies report changes in these disturbances, while others find no significant shift.
Hunt believes that westerly disturbances are becoming weaker and, with less certainty, tracking slightly further northward. This inhibits their ability to pick up moisture, leading to weaker precipitation. The Indian weather department has labelled the westerly disturbance this winter as "feeble."
While scientists continue to investigate the causes, it's becoming clear that the Himalayan region faces a double threat: the rapid loss of glaciers and a decrease in snowfall.
What are your thoughts on this? Do you think these changes are reversible, or are we facing a new normal? Share your opinions in the comments below!
