By Arun Pratap Singh
Dehradun, 9 Dec: The first snowfall of the season occurred in Uttarakhand late last night and continued today in many parts of the Garhwal hills, bringing joy to the region. Heavy snowfall has been recorded in the high Himalayan regions of Garhwal. The snowfall has ended a prolonged dry spell in the state that lasted more than 2 months. The Kedar Valley and Badrinath region have also received significant snowfall. Due to the activation of Western Disturbance, heavy snowfall has covered the mountains. Light snowfall also occurred in some areas of Kumaon region including Nainital today.
Snowfall has covered high-altitude areas of Chamoli district, including Badrinath Dham, Hemkund Sahib, Valley of Flowers, Neeti Mana Valley, Gorson Bugyal, Tali, Uniyal, Khulara, Kunwari Pass, Dronagiri Valley, and the winter destination, Auli. Villages such as Pana, Irani, and Jhinjhi of the Dasholi block have also been affected. The first snowfall of the season has reached remote villages in the border area of Jyotirmath, and heavy snowfall has occurred in the British-era tourist village of Pana Irani in Dasholi block. While the local villagers’ lives have been impacted, they are happy with the snowfall, anticipating benefits for tourism and agriculture.
Tourists are flocking to see the beautiful snowy valleys of Auli Gorson, and the snowfall also comes as a positive development for the preparations for the National Winter Games to be hosted in Auli in late January. Six to eight inches of snowfall have been recorded in the tourist spots of Auli and Gorson Bugyal. The snowfall in the higher reaches of the Garhwal hills has resulted in increased cold in the lower regions following the snowfall in the high Himalayan areas.
Farmers are relieved as the snowfall provides much-needed moisture for their crops. In addition to Chamoli, Rudraprayag district also experienced snowfall this morning, including decent snowfall in Kedarnath Dham, where light snowfall in Triyuginarayan brought joy to the locals. Snow has accumulated up to two inches in Kedarnath Dham, halting reconstruction work temporarily.
It may be recalled that the Meteorological Department had forecast snowfall in the high Himalayan regions of Uttarakhand. The sky was cloudy since Sunday morning, and light snow began falling late at night.
Mussoorie also received its first snowfall of the season, leading to a significant drop in temperature. The snowfall in Mussoorie’s Lal Tibba, Camel Bank Road, Atal Garden, and surrounding areas brought smiles to residents’ faces. Tourists from across the country and abroad are enjoying the snowfall in Mussoorie.
According to the Meteorological Department, the western disturbance caused the weather to change today, leading to rain and snowfall after about two months. The rain and snowfall have provided much-needed water for crops, which were on the verge of drying up, bringing relief to farmers. The snowfall has also brought joy to the tourists and they are headed to the hills. The snowfall before the New Year is expected to give a boost to the tourism business.
