Residents of high Himalayan villages in Humla, Mugu and Dolpa districts have been trapped indoors after an unusually early snowfall this week disrupted their annual winter migration to lower regions.

Pemba Tamang and his five-member family from ward 6 of Namkha Rural Municipality, Humla had planned to leave Jang village in the second week of October. They postponed their departure after neighbours suggested delaying by a week to travel together. Tuesday’s snowfall has now made leaving the village difficult.

“This year, the snow arrived early. We are staying indoors, keeping warm by the fire and eating hot meals,” Tamang said over the phone. “It may take two or three days for the snow to melt. Once it clears, we will head to the lowlands.”

In neighbouring Mugu district, Tashi Tamang from Mugugaun in ward 1 of Mugum Karmarong Rural Municipality said his family is also waiting for the snow to melt before travelling to Gamgadhi, the district headquarters. “We have already packed our essentials. If there’s no further snowfall, everyone will leave in three or four days,” he said, adding that snow around the village has reached half a foot in depth.

Tuesday’s snowfall blanketed several high-altitude settlements across the Karnali region, including Namkha, Kharpunath and Sarkegad in Humla; Mugum Karmarong in Mugu; and Chharka Tangsong, Dolpo Buddha and Shey Phoksundo rural municipalities in Dolpa.

According to Paljor Tamang, ward chair of Namkha-6, some families had left before the snowfall, but most villagers remain trapped in their homes. “The snow arrived earlier than usual. Even walking between houses is difficult. Everyone is staying indoors, and livestock are confined to sheds,” he said.

The Limi Valley, which includes Halji, Til and Jang villages, has 147 households. Of them, only about 50 families have managed to leave so far, Paljor said.

On Thursday, several locals from Limi flew to Nepalgunj on the first Sita Air flight. Simikot Airport chief Mahendra Bahadur Singh said three flights were operated on Thursday, but demand far exceeded supply. “Because so many people are trying to escape the cold, tickets are being distributed through a lottery system,” said Singh.

In Mugum Karmarong, local travel between villages has stopped due to the snow, said rural municipality chair Tsering Kyapne Lama. “Snow has reached up to half a foot in Mugugaun, Dolphu, Kimri and Magri.

In previous years, people left the villages in November, but this year’s early snowfall has trapped most residents in their villages,” Lama said. “The settlements are deserted, and no one can step outside.”

He said the last time such an early snowfall occurred was in 2011.

Residents of these upper Himalayan villages leave their homes for nearly six months each year as temperatures drop and snow blankets the settlements. “Surviving the winter here is impossible,” said Darji Lama from Mugugaun, whose seven-member family left for Gamgadhi a week ago. “We won’t return until mid-April. Only a few people remain in the village, and others are preparing to leave soon.”

According to Lama, some locals have already shifted to temporary shelters in lower areas such as Sirani Chaur, Pipaladi Kuna, Chitai Odhār and Dhungedhara.

Many of the young villagers move to towns like Gamgadhi, Jumla, Nepalgunj and Kathmandu during winter, while others migrate further south to Indian cities for seasonal work.

Local teacher Maniraj Budha said life in these Himalayan settlements becomes unbearable by midwinter. “By December and January, snow buries the houses and blocks all routes,” he said. “That’s why no one can stay in the villages through winter.”