Frost blankets Ooty as winter sets in

Frost has settled across Ooty, sending temperatures sharply lower and transforming the hill town into a wintry spectacle that has drawn large numbers of visitors despite the biting cold.

- HD Bureau

The drop in minimum temperatures, observed across several parts of the Nilgiris, marks the seasonal onset of frosting that typically defines December and January in this popular destination.Official s tracking weather and horticultural conditions say frosting began on 12 December, later than the long-term average by nearly a month. Variations in seasonal patt erns have become more pronounced over the past few years, with shifts in rainfall, cloud cover and nighttime temperatures influencing when frost appears and how intense it becomes. This year's delay has been attributed to extended moisture rete ntion in the soil and inter mittent cloud cover that moderated nighttime cooling e