Fresh snowfall covered parts of Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on September 23, bringing a sudden wintry change to the high Himalayan region. Snow was reported along the Satopanth route near Badrinath, with heavy snowfall recorded around the Chakratirth area.
A trekking group camping along the Satopanth trail witnessed the snowfall as snow quickly covered the surrounding landscape. The weather shift comes as temperatures begin to fall across higher Himalayan areas following the monsoon.
The snowfall is not necessarily an early arrival of winter across Uttarakhand. At very high elevations, snow can occur in September as the region transitions from the monsoon season towards colder weather. Lower temperatures at these altitudes can cause precipitation to fall as snow even while lower valleys continue to experience relatively mild conditions.
Chamoli’s Hemkund Sahib, located at around 4,572 metres, had already recorded the season’s first snowfall on September 17. Rain and fog were also reported around the Badrinath and Kedarnath valleys during the period.
The latest snowfall indicates a seasonal transition in the high Himalayas rather than the onset of full-fledged winter across Uttarakhand. For trekkers, however, the changing conditions highlight how quickly weather can shift at high altitudes, making preparation important for those travelling on mountain routes.
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