Shimla: Even the missing snowfall has failed to dampen the spirit of New Year with all hotels jam-packed and tourists occupying every available space of the Mall and the Ridge here to welcome 2018. Snowfall remains the biggest attraction for tourists but this time not even a single spell of snowfall was received in December. According to Shimla meteorological centre, dry weather conditions will continue across the state till January 6.
Last year, Shimla had received snowfall on December 25 to make it a White Christmas almost after 24 years but this time no snowfall has been received so far. In 1989, Shimla had received snowfall from December 22 to 24, in 1995 from December 21 to 22 while in 2013 it was on December 23. In 2015, the season's first snowfall was recorded on December 13 and 14 but after that snowfall had eluded the town on Christmas and New Year.
Shimla-based businessman Karan Nanda said that snowfall remained a major attraction for tourists but still the hill town manages to attract them without it. He said that climate change had affected the snowfall pattern of the state as now less snowfall was being received during December while February and March were witnessing an increase in snowfall.
Shimla meteorological centre director Manmohan Singh said that the monsoon period in the state was expanding while the overall rainfall was on a decline. He said that most weather stations were reporting an increase in temperature in Himachal Pradesh and J&K in the past 30 years. He said that snowfall days in Srinagar and Shimla were showing a decreasing trend during the same period. He said that snowfall season in the state was shrinking with decreasing seasonal snowfall and snowfall days.
A report by the State Centre on Climate Change, Himachal Pradesh, has revealed that in Shimla and Solan the total snowfall received during 1973-75 period was 190.53 cm, which increased to 827.38 cm from 1981-85, declined to 101.9 cm from 1986-1990 and further reduced to 78 cm in 2006-07 and only 15 cm in 2009. It said that decreasing trend in seasonal snowfall in Shimla had started in 1990 and it was lowest in 2009.
