Fresh snow in HP, U'khand; rains cheer farmers in plains

The higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand received a fresh bout of snow on Tuesday, while sporadic rains exacerbated cold conditions in the plains. According to agriculture experts, light rain is considered good for crops at this stage. The weatherman predicted snowfall or rain in the Kashmir Valley which is reeling under frigid conditions. Not much change was recorded in the frigid temperatures in the Kashmir Valley and the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh, where water pipes freeze and burst in harsh winters. Fog caused travel disruptions in some parts of the plains, where temperatures dipped due to overcast skies. Cold weather, coupled with light rain and fog, added to the woes of the people in the national capital. The city recorded a high of 17 degrees Celsius, and a low of 9.4 degrees Celsius. The Safdarjung observatory gauged 4.4 mm of rainfall till 5.30 pm on Tuesday. Lodhi Road, Palam, Ridge and Ayanagar recorded 4.7 mm, 1, 1.8 and 5.6 mm of precipitation. The humidity oscillated between 100 and 69 per cent. Shimla,the capital of Himachal Pradesh & its surrounding areas and parts of Sirmaur, Solan and, Lahaul and Spiti received snowfall, while mid and lowers hills witnessed scattered rains, breaking the seven-week-long dry spell in the state. Shimla and its surrounding areas witnessed intermittent snowfall this afternoon affecting vehicular traffic and disrupting normal life. Kufri, Chail, Fagu and Narkanda received moderate snowfall while Churdhar ranges in Sirmaur, Chansel Pass and Nankhari area of Rampur were experiencing intermittent snowfall. Nohra Dhar, Gatta Dhar, Bathau Dhar and Banali Dharare recorded 6 cm to 8 cm of snow, the MeT department said. Rains and snowfall has brought cheers to farmers, apple growers and hoteliers. "The dry spell had threatened Rabi crop and apple growing prospects while the occupancy in hotels in Shimla had come down to 20 per cent. But now, we can hope for a revival," a senior official of the agriculture department said. Overcast conditions brightened the chances of a downpour in Kashmir Valley where people are hoping for an end to the month-long dry spell. The MET department forecast rain or snowfall at isolated places today. At a piercing -19.2 degrees Celsius, Kargil was the coldest place in the state. The nearby Leh town quivered at - 14 deg C. Srinagar recorded a minimum of -3.7 deg C, Qazigund -3.6. Many parts of Punjab and Haryana received light rain. In Punjab, Amritsar, Ludhiana and Patiala experienced cold weather at 6.7, 6.4 and 9.6 degrees Celsius respectively. In Haryana, Ambala's minimum settled at 10.2 degrees Celsius, while Hisar, Karnal and Narnaul recorded their lows at 11.3, 8.5 and 8 deg C respectively. PTI