Snowfall delights tourist havens across Himachal Pradesh
Photo used for indicative purpose only. Source: Internet
Snowfall delights tourist havens across Himachal Pradesh
Shimla, Jan 31,
Ending the four-month-long dry spell, tourist favorites Kufri, Narkanda, and Manali are experiencing the first big spell of snowfall this winter season.
Reports arriving here indicate that the tourist resort Narkanda received five cm of snowfall this morning and is expecting another spell of snowfall.
Tourist resorts Dalhousie, Manali, and Kufri had light rain this morning, but it has now turned into snow. Shimla and its nearby areas experienced light rain earlier.
The sky is mainly overcast, with moderate snowfall reported in the high reaches. According to the Indian Meteorological Department, Saloni (Chamba) received 25.2 mm of rain, Manali 12 mm, Pandoh 5.5 mm, Sarahan (Shimla) seven mm, Rampur nine mm, Dalhousie 7 mm, Bhunter in Kullu 8.2 mm, and Seobagh 8.8 mm.
The Meteorological Office recorded 14 centimeters of snowfall in Kukumseri of Lahaul Spiti, Khadrala of Shimla -14 cm, Bharmaur in Chamba-8.6 cm, Sangla in Kinnaur 5 cm, Koksar-2.5 cm, Sumdho-4.8 cm, and Shilaroo five cm.
According to Lahaul Spiti district administration, Tindi had 25 cm, Udaipur 15 cm, Jahalma had eight cm of snow, Keylong ten cm, Koksar and Sisu five cm.
Vehicular traffic is closed to the Atal Tunnel Rohtang after fresh snowfall in the tourist resort Manali and about 20 cm to 30 cm on the South and North portals of ATR.
High reaches of Shimla, including Dodrakawar, Hatu, Khadapather, got a light to moderate spell of snowfall after light rain in the morning.
The inclement weather conditions bring cheers to the faces of apple growers as they are facing long drought conditions. The orchards have a weird look due to dust, and cracks are appearing on the soil surface.
Farmers of offseason and Rabi crops are keenly awaiting rain in the low-line area as they are running late for offseason sowing. Rabi crops of wheat, mustard, and gram were already devastated due to the dry spell.
The delay in winter snowfall has also forced apple growers to wait for planting new plants and preparing orchard beds due to the persisting dry weather.
The Indian Meteorological Department issued an orange alert in the high reaches for rain and snowfall, with rainfall and snowfall predicted in most places in the mid and high reaches and many places in the foothills for the next two days.
Minimum temperatures were near minus five degrees in Keylong, minus seven in Kaza, minus two in Kukumesri, minus 1.2 in Kalpa, minus 1.3 in Narkanda, 1.4 in Manali, 0.3 in tourist resort Kufri, 4 in Solan, 6.8 at Bhuntar airport, 6.6 in Mandi, 8.8 in Hamirpur, 1.2 in Dalhousie, 9.7 in Una, 2.4, 10 in Bilaspur, 5.5 at Jubberhati airport, and 8.6 in Kangra. Dharamshala recorded 5.4, and Nahan in Sirmour recorded 7 degrees.
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