Summer Snow in Kashmir |
For centuries, Kashmir has lived in close harmony with water. Rivers, lakes, springs (Naags), streams (Kuls), wetlands, glaciers, and snowfall have shaped not only the Valley’s landscape but also its culture, traditions, economy, and identity. From the calm waters of Dal and Wular lakes to the flowing Jhelum and Lidder rivers, water has always symbolised life and prosperity in Kashmiri society. Villages traditionally developed around freshwater springs, while snowfall and seasonal streams sustained agriculture and horticulture for generations. In the Valley’s cultural and spiritual traditions, water bodies were treated with deep respect and reverence. Seasonal changes guided farming, festivals, and daily life, while elders predicted weather through cloud patterns, spring discharge, mountain winds, and snowfall behaviour. Kashmir’s relationship with nature was therefore not merely environmental; it was civilisational, emotional, and deeply rooted in the Valley’s collective memory.
However, the same skies that once brought predictable rain and gentle snowfall are now increasingly unleashing violent climatic extremes. Parts of Kupwara district, especially the Lolab Valley, recently witnessed an intense hailstorm that transformed roads, orchards, and fields into scenes resembling mid-winter snowfall. Thick white layers of hail covered roads and open spaces, vehicles struggled to move through icy slush, and hailstones accumulated like fresh snow despite it being late spring. Residents described the event as one of the most severe hailstorms witnessed in decades. “It was hailing like snow. Within a few hours, everything turned white,” recalled residents from Lolab, expressing the shock felt across the region. Such events were once considered rare in Kashmir during this season, but their increasing frequency now reflects a disturbing climatic shift unfolding across the Himalayan region.
The Science Behind the HailstormsScientifically, hailstorms form very differently from snowfall. While snow develops........