Himachal gets more snow, high alert

SHIMLA — Himachal Pradesh’s popular tourist destinations of Shimla and Manali yesterday saw more snowfall, an official said here, predicting heavy snow at some places in the state.

A high alert was sounded in Kullu, Shimla, Chamba, Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur districts in view of the Met office’s forecast of heavy to very heavy snowfall till this evening.

“Shimla, Manali and Dalhousie have experienced light to moderate snowfall along with rain,” a spokesperson for the meteorological office said.

Tourist spots near Shimla, like honeymooner’s paradise Kufri, Fagu and Narkanda also experienced more snowfall, triggering a rush of tourists there.

The state capital saw 11 cm of snow, while it was 9 cm in Manali, 21 cm in Kalpa in Kinnaur district and 15 cm in Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district.

Kasauli, Dharamsala (13 mm), Solan (23 mm), Una (14 mm) and Palampur were lashed with intermittent showers.

Due to cloudy conditions, the minimum temperatures across the state have increased by two to three degrees since Saturday.

Shimla recorded a low of 2.6 degrees Celsius early yesterday, while it was minus 1.4 degrees in Manali, minus 3 degrees in Kalpa and 3.5 degrees in Dharamsala.

The maximum temperature of these towns was 10.9 degrees, 6.4 degrees, 3.8 degrees and 14.6 degrees Celsius respectively.

“There are chances of heavy to very heavy snowfall at a few places over mid and high reaches of the state during the next 36 hours (till Monday) as western disturbances are active in the region,” the weatherman said.

A government spokesperson here has advised the locals and the tourists not to venture out in the high hills as chances of heavy snow are high.

He said the Chandigarh-manali National Highway 21 has been closed near Patlikuhl, 20 km before Manali, due to landslides. — IANS