Himachal Pradesh receives season's first snowfall, 87 roads closed

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh witnessed its first snowfall of the season which led to the closure of at least 87 roads in the state, including Atari-Leh National Highway 3 near Manali's Rohtang Pass, the State Emergency Operation Centre (SEOC) said.

A total of 58 roads were closed in Shimla, followed by 17 in Kinnaur, six in Kangra, two in Lahaul and Spiti, one each in Kullu and Chamba districts. Some parts of Himachal suffered power outrages as 457 transformers were disrupted, the SEOC said.

Shimla, along with the nearby tourist resorts of Kufri, Fagu, Chansel, Narkanda and the Churdhar ranges, as well as several high mountain passes, received the first snowfall of the season on Sunday evening, breaking a ten-week dry spell and bringing cheer to the farmers, apple growers and hoteliers.

Shimla received 2.5 cm of snow, and areas like The Ridge, Mall Road and Jakhoo Peak were covered in a light blanket of snow. Snowfall was also recorded in key tourist destinations such as Manali, Kasauli, and Chail.

High-altitude areas and mountain passes were blanketed in snow, causing minimum temperatures to drop by four to six degrees. The high-altitude tribal areas experienced piercing cold, with minimum temperatures ranging from 12 to 18 degrees below freezing. Tabo recorded a low of minus 12.3 degrees Celsius.

Since Sunday evening, about 800 people stranded in 490 vehicles in Lahaul due to the snowfall have been rescued, according to the Lahaul and Spiti police. Snow and slippery road conditions also disrupted vehicular traffic on several roads in the upper Shimla region.

Despite the adverse weather, schools in Shimla remained open due to ongoing exams, and the supply of essential goods was also not affected.

Koksar recorded 6.7 cm of snow, followed by Khadrala with 5 cm, Sangla with 3.6 cm, Keylong with 3 cm, and Nichar and Shimla both with 2.5 cm.

The lower hills of the state saw light rainfall, with Kandaghat, Kasauli, Jubbarhatti and Mandi recording 2.2 mm, 2 mm, 1.9 mm, and 1.4 mm of rain, respectively.

Intense cold wave conditions persisted, with temperatures staying two to six degrees below freezing at several locations.

The post-monsoon rainfall deficit in the state from October 1 to December 9 decreased from 98 per cent to 96 per cent due to light rains and snowfall.

The state received 2.1 mm of rain, compared to the normal rainfall of 49.3 mm during this period.

The rain deficit was 100 per cent in Chamba, 99 per cent in Bilaspur, Kullu, Sirmaur, and Hamirpur, 97 per cent in Kangra and Solan, and 96 per cent in Shimla.

The India Meteorological Department has issued a yellow warning for dense fog in parts of the Bhakra Dam reservoir area (Bilaspur) and Balh Valley (Mandi) during the early morning, morning, and late-night hours on December 10 and 11.