Kashmir’s Vanishing Winter: Inside the February 2026 Heatwave That Is Rewriting the Valley’s Climate Memory By: Javid Amin | 25 Febuary 2026 When Winter Forgot to Snow In late February 2026, residents of Srinagar stepped out into a winter afternoon that felt suspiciously like early April. Daytime temperatures hovered 7–8°C above seasonal norms. Snow that once blanketed rooftops and orchards had either failed to arrive or vanished within days. Up in the slopes of Gulmarg, ski instructors waited for tourists who never came. In Pahalgam and Sonamarg, streams began to…
Read MoreTag: #KashmirClimate
Kashmir’s Warmest February Threatens Hydropower: Early Snowmelt Raises Energy Security Concerns
Kashmir’s Warmest February in a Decade: Hydropower at Risk as Early Snowmelt Disrupts Energy Flows By: Javid Amin | 20 February 2026 How Rising Winter Temperatures Could Reshape Jammu & Kashmir’s Electricity Security Kashmir’s warmest February in nearly a decade is not just a climate statistic — it is a structural warning for the region’s hydropower-dependent energy system. On February 20, Srinagar recorded 20.1°C — 9.7°C above normal — the highest February temperature since 2016. Across the Valley, maximum temperatures ran 9–11°C above seasonal averages. For a Himalayan region where…
Read MoreWeather in Kashmir: An Anthemic Wake-Up Call We Can No Longer Ignore
By Umar Khan Amiri Kashmir has long been celebrated for its pristine climate, snow-clad winters, and life-giving rivers. But today, the changing weather patterns across Kashmir are not just a seasonal anomaly—they are an anthemic warning. A winter without snow, deficient rainfall, shrinking forests, rising pollution, and chaotic tourism together form a loud, unsettling chorus demanding urgent attention. For generations, snow in Kashmir was more than a spectacle; it was a system. Snowfall regulated temperatures, replenished groundwater, sustained agriculture, and powered hydropower projects. Today, prolonged dry spells and snowless winters…
Read MoreKashmir’s Warm January: 75% Less Snow and Day Temps 6 Degrees Higher Than Normal
Kashmir records 75% snow deficit in Jan, day temperatures 6 degrees above normal Srinagar 04 Feb : Kashmir, also known as the Paradise on Earth, is losing its sheen due to drastic changes in weather patterns across the region. In January 2025, Kashmir Valley witnessed a 75 per cent dip in precipitation, and not only that, day temperatures have also risen and been recorded 6 degrees above the normal. Winter in the Valley has always been about snow-covered mountain ranges, huge tourist footfalls to witness the winter wonderland, and sub-zero…
Read More