Manali gets season’s first snowfall

SHIMLA - Himachal Pradesh’s picturesque town Manali experienced the season’s first snow fall Friday evening, much to the delight of those in the hospitality industry.

“Manali and the hills overlooking the town received mild snowfall this (Friday) evening,” an official of the meteorological office here said.

He said Manali got five centimetres of snow, while the Rohtang Pass, 52 km from Manali, experienced more than two feet of snowfall.

Meanwhile, mild snowfall in the higher reaches and intermittent rain in low and mid hills of the state, including Shimla, Kasauli, Kufri, Dharamsala, Palampur and Chamba, brought the temperatures down sharply.

“We are now hopeful of a good spell of snow this year. This means the arrival of the tourists would pick up,” said Gajinder Singh, president of the Manali Hoteliers Association.