By Arun Pratap Singh
Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 29 Dec: Uttarakhand has witnessed an unusually prolonged dry spell this winter, with the month of October recording some scattered rainfall but the months of November and December have passed almost entirely without any significant precipitation. This has raised serious concerns for agriculture as well as for natural water resources across the state.
According to data available with the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the state normally receives around 8 to 10 mm of rainfall in November and an average of about 14 mm in December, largely due to the impact of western disturbances. However, this year both the months have recorded negligible rainfall, making the ongoing winter one of the driest in recent years. Meteorological records indicate that over the past 25 years, December has seen substantial rainfall only in about 10 years, while in several years, including 2014, 2017 and 2022, rainfall remained far below normal, adversely impacting winter agriculture and snowfall-dependent regions.
Despite the prevailing dry conditions, the IMD has offered some cautious optimism, forecasting light rain in parts of the state and snowfall in higher reaches between 31 December and 2 January 2026 due to an approaching western disturbance. According to the Regional Centre of IMD in Dehradun, snowfall is likely at elevations above 3200 metres, particularly in districts such as Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Bageshwar and Pithoragarh, while light rain may occur in the lower and middle hill areas. This brief spell of weather activity is expected to benefit high-altitude tourist destinations during the New Year period, though its overall impact on the seasonal rainfall deficit is likely to remain limited.
The cold conditions, meanwhile have intensified in the plains due to dense fog and the absence of cloud cover. Udham Singh Nagar and Haridwar have witnessed cold day conditions, with maximum temperatures remaining 5 to 6 degrees Celsius below normal, prompting the IMD to issue a yellow alert. Foggy conditions are also expected to affect Dehradun, Pauri, Nainital and Champawat over the next few days. In contrast, hill districts have recorded slightly above-normal daytime temperatures due to clear skies and bright sunshine, though mornings and evenings continue to remain sharply cold.
According to the latest forecast from the State Weather Centre of IMD in Dehradun, there is little likelihood of any significant rain or snowfall in Uttarakhand after 2 January and during the first week of the New Year. This means that while high-altitude areas may briefly receive fresh snow around the year’s turn, the overall dry and cold pattern is expected to reassert itself soon thereafter. Meteorologists and agricultural experts have cautioned that if the deficit in winter precipitation continues into January, it could further stress Rabi crops and groundwater levels, underlining the growing vulnerability of mountain agriculture to changing weather patterns.
The continued lack of rainfall and snowfall is beginning to affect agriculture, especially Rabi crops such as wheat, mustard and pulses, which depend on timely winter moisture for healthy growth. Agricultural experts point out that insufficient rainfall in November and December reduces soil moisture levels, forcing the farmers to rely more heavily on irrigation, which is not uniformly available across the state’s hill districts. In snow-fed regions, reduced snowfall also affects natural water recharge, springs and streams, which play a crucial role in sustaining agriculture during the dry months. Past few years with deficient winter rainfall, including 2018 and 2020, resulted in reduced wheat yields and increased irrigation costs, trends that the farmers fear may be repeated if dry conditions persist.
