By Shishir Prashant 
PrashantNews
Breaking a long dry spell, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday predicted heavy rains and snowfall in the western Himalayan region including Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir for nearly one week beginning from Jan 22.
“Under the influence of Western Disturbance, wet spell likely over Western Himalayan region during next 7 days with possibility of isolated heavy rainfall/snowfall over Kashmir valley on 22nd & 23rd and Himachal Pradesh & Uttarakhand on 23rd January. Isolated to scattered rainfall likely over adjoining plains of northwest India during 22nd -24th January, the IMD said.
The prediction of snowfall and rains come as the Himalayan belt from Himachal to Uttarakhand has been grappling with an extraordinary dry spell during this winter period.
The prolonged dry spell in the hills has given rise to forest fires which are unusual in January. In the past few days, scores of forest fires have been reported in the hills causing a big concern among the people.
Known for its snowy winters and lush forests, Uttarakhand during the entire winter season has witnesses scanty rainfall and negligible snowfall, contributing to unusually dry conditions across the hill state, environmentalists said.
Meteorological data reveal a significant deficit in winter precipitation, with months like December and January recording little to no rain or snow. “We are not getting any rain and hence there is no snow,” said Dr Vijay Sridhar, an environment expert.
Such dryness is highly atypical for the region, which generally receives winter moisture from Western Disturbances — weather systems that bring rain and snow to the western Himalayas. This year, these disturbances have been weak and infrequent, leaving forests and fields parched, said Dr Sridhar, a Professor in Doon University. The prolonged lack of precipitation has significant ecological, agricultural, and hydrological consequences. Farmers are already reporting crop losses estimated between 15 % and 25 % as soil moisture declines.
Meanwhile, environmentalists have warned that a sustained absence of snowfall could push some glacier mass balances into negative territory, meaning glaciers in the region could lose more ice than they accumulate, threatening long-term water security for millions downstream. Against this backdrop of drought‐like conditions, forest officials are increasingly concerned about the risk of increase in forest fires.
Recently, several forest fires occurred near the Valley of Flowers and within the Nanda Devi national park prompting state authorities to escalate their response. most of these fires have been controlled, officials said.