The snowfall over the past 24 hours has impacted major mountain passes along with regions such as Leh, Kargil, and Drass. Even the Suru Valley, which was hosting a summer festival, was suddenly turned into a winter scene, leaving officials and visitors to cope with the unforeseen weather.
Ladakh is witnessing an unusual spell of early snowfall, with several high-altitude regions — including the iconic Khardung La pass — blanketed in a rare layer of snow this August.
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The snowfall over the past 24 hours has impacted major mountain passes along with regions such as Leh, Kargil, and Drass. Even the Suru Valley, which was hosting a summer festival, was suddenly turned into a winter scene, leaving officials and visitors to cope with the unforeseen weather.
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Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, who was present for the festivities, confirmed the unusual nature of the event. He was quoted by a local news agency stating, “For the first time in my life, I have witnessed such heavy snowfall in August here in Ladakh. Even the villagers said they had never seen snowfall of this magnitude during this month.” He added that the weather had severely disrupted the festival, a sentiment he tempered by noting, “Despite the challenges, the beauty of this tourist destination remains unmatched and such moments remind us of nature’s power and unpredictability.”
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The meteorological department has placed the Union Territory under a red weather alert, predicting heavy rainfall across several areas.
Meteorologists have linked the untimely snowfall to a combination of atypical weather conditions. Mahesh Palawat, Vice President of Climate and Meteorology at Skymet Weather, noted that continuous rainfall had led to a sharp decline in temperatures across the high-altitude cold desert.
