Srinagar, Jan 30 (KNO): Kashmir witnessing less snowfall during peak winter season this year could lead to water scarcity in coming months, experts said on Thursday.
Talking to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the experts said the changing weather patterns have led to decline in the intensity of snowfall in Kashmir and it can have far reaching consequences.
Director Meteorological department (MeT), Dr Mukhtar Ahmad said that the snowfall in winters is important for the seasons ahead. “In case of the less snowfall, the water scarcity, inconvenience in irrigation works would become normal in the Valley,” he said, adding that the absence of snowfall is also leading to the rise in the maximum temperatures as witnessed in the month of January this year like previous years as well.
“The temperatures are expected to rise whenever the dry spell persists. Therefore, the summer would likely be hot this year like the previous year when the mercury crossed the mark of 36.5 degree Celsius in July,” he said.
Meanwhile, an Independent Weather Forecaster, Faizan Arif Keng informed KNO that the changing weather patterns have led to Kashmir receiving less snowfall.
He said the precipitation was being witnessed mainly in the shape of snowfall in the Valley almost a decade ago, but now the situation has changed. “The reasons behind the less snowfall is the change in the weather pattern due to the global warming and also the rise in the temperatures across the Valley,” he said, adding that there was a time when the records were broken after a decade, but now, every year record-breaking temperatures are recorded, which is one among the reasons behind the less snowfall being witnessed in the Valley.
Pertinently, Jammu and Kashmir in 2024 witnessed unprecedented rainfall deficit making it the driest year of the region in the past 50-years. The statistics suggest the Union Territory received 870.9 mm rainfall in 2024 compared to the normal annual average of 1,232.3 mm, causing 29% deficit rainfall.
In January 2025, the Union Territory has recorded a deficit rainfall of 87 per cent in the first 29 days—(KNO)