Kufri witnessing negligible snowfall over past three years

Famous for snow and snow-related activities until recently, Kufri has seen negligible snowfall over the past three years. This winter, too, the famous tourist spot received just a few centimeters of snowfall once or twice from December till February. Surprisingly, the hill station did not receive a trace of snowfall even when the surrounding places like Shilaroo, Narkanda and Kharapathar saw good snowfall during the last precipitation spell a few days back.

According to weather officials, it’s the temperature of a place at the time of a weather activity that determines whether the place will receive rain or snow. “As per our observations, the surface temperature of Shimla and surrounding places is less than four degree Celsius as and when there’s snowfall. The temperature at Kufri must have not fallen enough at that time to get snowfall,” said a senior scientist from Meteorological Centre, Shimla.

“Besides, the position of zero-degree isotherm is also critical. If the zero-degree isotherm is lower, the chances of snowfall increase. If it’s higher, the probability of rainfall increases,” the official said. The zero-degree isotherm is that point in the atmosphere where the temperature is zero degree Celsius.

Why isn’t the temperature at Kufri falling enough to receive snowfall? In other words, what has pushed up the temperatures so much that it gets only rain when the places not too far away are awash with snowfall? As per the experts from weather department and pollution control board, there are several factors, both metrological and pollution-related, that can raise the surface temperature of a place and affect its climate pattern in a long run. Vehicular emissions and rapid urbanization are also among these several factors. Kufri has been witnessing high vehicular movement and rapid concrete construction for many years now.

“It is fundamental science that large-scale vehicular emissions and urbanisation raise the temperature at a given place. But an in-depth study is required to find out if these factors are actually contributing to altering the snow pattern at the place,” said an official from the Pollution Control Board. “Without a detailed study, nothing can be said with certainty,” he said.

Regardless of the reasons behind the depleting snowfall at Kufri, thousands of people earning their livelihood through tourism at Kufri are worried. “For most tourists, Kufri is all about snow and related activities,” said a photographer, who has been working at Kufri for more than two decades. “If there will be no snowfall, tourists will not visit in the winters. It’s going to affect the livelihood of thousands of people,” he said.