Clear skies, calm winds and a breathtaking view of Himalayan peaks draped in snow - that is the autumn experience that hikers on the world's highest peak have come to love.
But that appears to be changing.
Shifting Weather Patterns
Climate scientists report the monsoon now stretches into fall, which is traditionally the mountain tourism period.
During this prolonged tail end of monsoon, they have recorded at least one instance of heavy rainfall almost every year for the previous ten years, with high-altitude weather becoming more dangerous.
Recent Emergency on Everest
Recently, a sudden blizzard trapped several hundred of tourists near the eastern side of Everest for multiple days in freezing conditions at an altitude of more than 16,000ft.
Approximately six hundred hikers were led to safety by the end of Tuesday, according to reports.
One person had succumbed from hypothermia and mountain sickness, but the others were reportedly in good condition.
Comparable Incidents Across the Region
This was on the northern slope but something similar had occurred on the Nepal slope, where a South Korean mountaineer died on Mera Peak.
The world learned much later because communications were disrupted by heavy downpours and heavy snowfall.
Authorities calculate that landslides and sudden floods in the region have claimed the lives of approximately sixty people over the past week.
"It is very atypical for October when we anticipate the weather to stay calm," stated an experienced mountain guide.
Economic Impact
Considering this is the favored period, frequent extreme weather events like this have "affected our trekking and mountaineering industry," he added.
The rainy period in northern India and Nepal usually lasts from June to early autumn, but not anymore.
"Our data shows that most of the annual cycles in the past decade have had monsoons continuing until the second week of October, which is definitely a shift," said a high-ranking weather expert.
Growing Climate Severity
More worrying is the heavy precipitation and snowfall the concluding phase of the season produces, like it occurred this time on early October.
High in the Himalayas, such extreme conditions means blizzards and snowstorms, which represents a huge risk for hiking, climbing and tourism.
Firsthand Experiences
That's what occurred last weekend when the conditions shifted very abruptly - the air currents began roaring, temperatures plummeted and sightlines dropped significantly.
The path that had comfortably led the trekkers to what should have been a stunning resting point was now covered in white accumulation and extremely difficult to navigate.
Nevertheless, one hiker, who had climbed the Himalayas more than a dozen occasions, reported he had "not once encountered weather like these" before.
Expert Analysis
One major factor is the higher amount of moisture in the atmosphere because of how the planet has been warming, researchers say.
That has contributed to torrential rains over a brief period of time, frequently after a prolonged period without rain – unlike in the past when seasonal rains were spread evenly over the entire season.
A Turbocharged Monsoon
Weather specialists report the monsoons in South Asia at times seem to have become more intense because they are more frequently coming into contact with another atmospheric phenomenon, the western weather pattern.
The phenomenon is a atmospheric depression that originates in the Mediterranean region and moves east - it transports chillier temperatures that brings rains and sometimes snow to northern India, Pakistan and Nepal.
Climate Change Impacts
Researchers have also found that in a heating planet, the growing interaction between westerly disturbances and seasonal rains is producing an additional atypical outcome.
The hotter air is pushing the weather systems to greater altitudes, which indicates these weather systems are now capable to pass over the mountain barrier and affect Tibet and additional regions that previously experienced less so much rain in the past.
"What's changed is the reliability of patterns; we cannot presume that conditions will behave the identical from season to season," commented an experienced mountain leader.
"This implies adaptable planning, real-time decision-making, and experienced guidance [in the Himalayas] have become increasingly essential."
