Overview
- IMD data show Uttarakhand recorded no rain in December and January, Himachal Pradesh logged its sixth-driest December since 1901, and Jammu & Kashmir saw very little precipitation.
- IMD forecasts light to moderate precipitation on January 18–20 from an approaching western disturbance, while cautioning that winter rainfall activity remains below normal overall.
- Uttarakhand officials report a hydrological drought with preliminary crop losses of 15–20% in districts including Chamoli, Tehri and Bageshwar, with wheat damage around 15%.
- Forest vulnerability has surged, with FSI detecting more than 1,600 fire alerts in Uttarakhand, 600 in Himachal Pradesh and about 300 in J&K, and authorities tackling incidents in areas such as the Nanda Devi, Gangotri and Valley of Flowers ranges.
- Scientists warn that reduced winter accumulation threatens glacier mass balance and could expand glacier lakes, aligning with analyses that show rising snow-drought events and the 2024–25 season posting a 23-year low in snow persistence.