Western Disturbance is now prevailing over Jammu and Kashmir and has given snowfall to the higher reaches of the region. The system has caused widespread clouding over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and northern plains that include Punjab, Haryana, North Rajasthan and Delhi.
However, the middle and lower reaches have not reported any snow or rainfall so far.
According to Skymet Meteorology Division in India, during the next 24 hours the system is expected to give widespread rain and snow in middle reaches such as Srinagar, Shimla, Manali to name a few. While, rain across the most parts of the plains.
This will be the second spell of heavy snowfall across the famous tourist destinations such as Manali, Shimla, Mussoorie, Nainital and Dharamsala. However, Srinagar which has remained devoid of any snow till now is also expected to finally witness white cover.
In wake of the system, maximum temperatures have dropped in the region, while minimum temperatures have increased. Similar pattern is likely to continue for next 48 hours.
As per Skymet, though the minimum temperatures will be increasing significantly but the change in the wind pattern will make the mornings and nights slightly chilly.
The weather across the hilly states and plains will crawl back to normal as the system moves away in next 48 hours, but higher reaches will continue to snow till the weekend.
Western Disturbances become frequent during winters and are responsible for affecting the weather in the region to a large extent. These systems after approaching the region usually stay for 1-2 days and give short spells of rain. The system is called Western Disturbance due to its movement from west to east.
