Tungnath peaks snow-free in January for first time since 1985, scientists raise alarm

The high-altitude peaks of Tungnath in Uttarakhand’s Garhwal Himalayas have remained snow-free through January so far — the first such occurrence since systematic observations began nearly four decades ago — raising concerns among alpine scientists about shifting climatic patterns, The Times of India reported.

Experts said a prolonged shortfall in rainfall and snowfall is already affecting several medicinal plant species native to the alpine region, including Nardostachys jatamansi (jatamansi), Picrorhiza kurroa (kutki) and Aconitum heterophyllum (atees).

“The region’s natural precipitation cycles are undergoing noticeable change. The absence of winter snowfall in Tungnath, at around 12,000 feet, threatens the stability of this fragile alpine ecosystem,” Aditya Narayan Purohit, Padma Shri awardee and founder of the High Altitude Plant Physiology Research Centre (HAPPRC), was quoted as saying by TOI.


Other scientists noted that many alpine medicinal plants rely on consistent snow cover to regulate soil moisture, break seed dormancy and ensure timely germination. The lack of snow, coupled with dry air and parched soil, is delaying these processes and disrupting normal ecosystem functioning.

Sudeep Semwal, senior scientific officer at HAPPRC, told TOI that snow acts as a natural insulator for alpine soils by limiting heat loss. “This thermal buffering supports root activity, plant survival and early growth of alpine plants,” he said, adding that these species are specifically adapted to Himalayan conditions.

According to scientists, snowfall monitoring in the region began after 1985, and this is the first recorded January in Tungnath marked by frost alone, with no snowfall reported so far.

(With inputs from TOI)