Fresh snowfall in Himachal’s higher reaches; yellow alert issued for several districts
PTC Web Desk: Himachal Pradesh’s higher altitudes witnessed fresh snowfall on Sunday, with regions like Lahaul-Spiti's Atal Tunnel and Lahaul Valley draped in a white blanket. Snowfall continues unabated in the upper reaches of Lahaul-Spiti district. In Shimla, light snowflakes began falling in Kufri, Fagu, and Narkanda by Monday afternoon, intensifying into significant snowfall by 5. 30 pm.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a yellow alert for heavy snowfall in Shimla, Chamba, Kangra, Kinnaur, Kullu, Mandi, and Lahaul-Spiti districts. While the anticipated heavy snowfall was not recorded, light snowfall did occur in these regions. Meanwhile, the plains of the state experienced overcast skies throughout the day.
According to the IMD, light snowfall is expected on January 7 in higher reaches of Chamba, Kangra, Kinnaur, Kullu, and Lahaul-Spiti districts, while other areas are likely to experience clear weather.
Before the snowfall, an unusual spike in temperatures was observed across the state. Shimla recorded a maximum temperature of 23°C, 11.4°C above normal. On Saturday, the maximum temperature was 23.1°C, the highest ever recorded for January in the region. The previous record stood at 21.4°C on January 30, 2006.
Similarly, Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti reported a maximum temperature of 6.1°C, a steep 10.1°C above normal. Typically, January temperatures in Keylong remain in the sub-zero range. Sundernagar recorded a maximum of 25.2°C, 7.6°C above normal, while Bhuntar in Kullu district reached 22°C, 6.3°C above its usual levels.
The state’s average maximum temperature has risen by 5.5°C above normal levels. The snowfall and rain are expected to bring much-needed respite by lowering temperatures across the region.
- With inputs from agencies
