Shimla, Manali get snowfall, mercury dips

SHIMLA - Himachal Pradesh’s popular tourist destinations Shimla and Manali received snowfall Wednesday, pushing down the temperatures by several notches.

While Shimla saw a light spell of snowfall in the evening, nearby places like Kufri and Narkanda have been experiencing moderate snowfall since morning, according to a Met official. Manali too received moderate snow.

“High-altitude areas of Lahaul and Spiti, Chamba, Mandi, Kullu, Kinnaur and Shimla districts have been experiencing moderate to heavy snow since Tuesday evening,” the official said.

Keylong, the headquarters of Lahaul and Spiti, recorded about 26 cm of snow, while it was 4.9 cm thick in Kalpa in Kinnaur district.

Manali has been experiencing snowfall since Sunday. The popular skiing slopes, just 13 km from Manali, have accumulated more than four feet of snow.

Shimla recorded a low of 2.4 degrees Celsius, while it was 4.1 degrees below freezing point in Keylong, minus 2 degrees in Kalpa, and 5 degrees Celsius above freezing point in Bhuntar and 2.1 degrees in Dharamsala.

The maximum temperature in Shimla was 7.8 degrees Celsius, while it was 3.6 degrees in Kalpa, 14.7 degrees in Bhuntar and 9.2 degrees Celsius in Dharamsala.

Meanwhile, incessant rains across the state partially hampered the air traffic. “Flights from Delhi to Shimla and Dharamsala were as per schedule but could not be operated at Kullu on the second day,” an airport official said.

Incessant snow also hampered vehicular traffic on the highways in Shimla, Kinnaur, Mandi and Kullu districts.

A government spokesperson said if the snowfall continued, services of state-run buses in upper Shimla might be affected.

The weather office said some places in Kangra, Kullu, Chamba and Lahaul and Spiti districts would experience heavy snowfall till early Thursday.