Higher reaches in HP receive fresh snow

WHITE CARPET Forecast of snow, rain till December 21

AN AVALANCHE WARNING HAS ALSO BEEN ISSUED FOR KULLU, LAHAUL-SPITI AND KINNAUR

DHARAMSHALA: Himachal Pradesh continued to reel under severe cold with higher reaches in the state experiencing fresh spell of snow as a western disturbance became active over the region on Thursday.

The Rohtang Pass, Lahaul Spiti and parts of Kullu district experienced fresh snowfall. The Dhauladhar mountains in Kangra also wore a white cloak.

The meteorological department has forecast snow in the higher and middle hills and rain in the lower hills of the state till December 21. An avalanche warning has been issued for Kullu, Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur.

“The weather will be clear from Sunday,” said Manmohan Singh, the director of the meteorological centre in Shimla.

The administrative centre of Lahaul-Spiti district at Keylong was the coldest place in the state with a minimum temperature of minus 12°C. The maximum was minus 3.8°C.

Kalpa in Kinnaur district recorded a low of minus 1.8°C, while the high was 2.8°C. The minimum in Kufri was 2.4°C and the maximum 9.2°C. The state capital of Shimla recorded a low of 6.5°C and high of 14.9°C.

The minimum temperatures in hill stations of Manali, Dharamshala and Dalhousie were 1°C, 2.1°C and 6.5°C, respectively. The maximum temperature in the three towns was 8.8°C, 10.8°C and 9.1°C, respectively.

Bilaspur was the warmest place with a high of 20.8°C.

218 ROADS CLOSED AFTER SNOW

As many as 218 roads, including two national highways, are still closed in the state due to heavy snowfall last week.

A maximum of 135 roads are closed in Lahaul-Spiti. In Chamba, 35 roads are closed for traffic. The sub-zero temperature has affected water supply in the tribal areas and Shimla. Power supply in the remote areas, including Lahaul-Spiti and parts of Chamba, remained disrupted.