Why are cold deserts in India not affected by the monsoon?

Options

A. Cold deserts are at a very high altitude
B. Cold deserts have hot summers and extremely cold winters
C. Cold deserts lie in the rain shadow of the Himalayas
D. Air is very thin in cold deserts

Answer

A, C

Explanation

Cold Desert is a region which has harsh climatic conditions. The climate of cold desert of India can be attributed to two factors. One is its location on the leeward side of the Himalayas, which makes it a rain-shadow zone inaccessible to the annual South-Western monsoon winds which provides a good amount of rainfall to the rest of the country, thus creating desert, conditions with low levels of precipitation. Second is its very high elevation (ranging from 3000-5000m). Thus, both these conditions add coldness in its environment.