The morning mist over Himachal Pradesh’s apple belt usually arrives like a long-held promise. For generations, this winter chill has indicated that apples will be crisp, plentiful, and eventually affordable in the months ahead.

This year, however, many orchards barely got snow. In several villages, growers have switched on sprinklers and foggers to coat apple tree branches with a thin sheet of ice, hoping to mimic the cold their trees are missing.

For city folk who casually toss apples into shopping bags, this unusual sight matters. The way farmers respond to a warming winter could decide how many apples reach markets — and at what price.

Apple trees are not simply waiting through winter; they are resting. Like people who need sleep, the trees require a specific number of cold hours, called ‘chilling hours’, to reset for the next season.

Chilling hours refer to the total time temperatures stay roughly between 0°C and 7°C. During this period, the tree enters dormancy — a pause or rest when the tree prepares for spring flowering. If this rest is incomplete, flowers open unevenly, fruit setting drops, and the harvest suffers.

Snow traditionally provides the steady cold needed for these ‘chilling hours’. With snowfall becoming........

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