The Munnar hill station in Idukki saw its coldest temperature this season on Saturday, dropping to -1°C at Sevenmallay. Early morning brought white frost covering grasslands and valleys. Other places like Chenduvarai, Silent Valley, Letchmi, Devikulam, and UPASI headquarters in Nallathanni saw temperatures around 0°C. Devikulam recorded 1°C, and Mattupetty R&D centre noted 2°C. These are colder than the previous low of 2°C recorded on Friday. Climatologist Gopakumar Cholayil said, “The current weather pattern is favourable for continued sub-zero temperatures.” Experts also highlighted that these freezing conditions arrived earlier than usual. Munnar normally sees sub-zero temps in late December, but this year frost started in the second week. The early chill has brought a strong surge in tourists. G. Sojan from My Munnar Movement said, “Tourism stakeholders are receiving huge bookings and inquiries for the coming days.” Kerala Travel Mart member Vinod Vattekkatt added that despite early IndiGo flight cancellations hurting tourism in December, the early winter helped recovery. He said, “Most resorts and hotels are now receiving high volumes of bookings and inquiries, a trend we expect to continue until January 30.” Munnar’s winter has shifted recently with freezing weather starting earlier and lasting till February. This year’s early frost is a welcome boost for the local tourism industry, drawing visitors eager to enjoy the chilly, frosty scenery.