SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir may experience a relatively mild and dry winter this year under the influence of El Niño, although one or two significant snowfall spells during the peak winter period remain possible, Director of the Meteorological Department Srinagar Mukhtar Ahmad said.
Responding to claims circulating on social media that winter may not occur in India this year, Ahmad dismissed them as unscientific, saying winter would occur but its intensity could vary.
He said recent winters had generally been relatively mild compared with periods of more severe winter conditions.
Ahmad said indications from the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO) suggested that the latter part of 2026 and early 2027, particularly the peak winter months, could be warmer and drier due to the El Niño effect.However, he cautioned that it was too early to make a definite seasonal forecast, as weather patterns remain dynamic and can change with relatively small shifts in atmospheric conditions.
