Bringing cheer to tourists and hoteliers, Himachal Pradesh has received heaviest snow of the season, with many places covered with more than 90cm thick white blanket. While snowfall will prove boon for tourism, it has crippled life in higher areas with blocked roads, snapped power cables and frozen water pipes. The snowflakes measuring upto 4cm started falling in most places after 10pm on Thursday. Lower areas like Mandi and Sundarnagar too witnessed snowfall after three decades. Tribal areas of the state have received up to 90cm of snow in 24 hours. While residents in lower areas were happy to see snowflakes, the snow has disturbed normal lives in higher areas of the state. Bharmour recorded highest 90cm snow while Keylong in Lahaul received 55cm more snow. Snow accumulation at Keylong has reached over 100cm. Kothi and Solang in Manali received 65cm snow and it was 55cm in Kufri near Shimla. Dalhousie received 50cm more snow. State capital Shimla recorded 36cm overnight snow. Manali town has received 35cm fresh snow. Kalpa (29cm), Theog (29), Janjehli (20cm), Mashobra (20cm) and Sarahan (17cm) also received more snow overnight. Including national highways, state highways and local roads, over 700 roads in state are blocked with snow. Parts of Chamba, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla and Kinnaur districts have gone disconnected. Snow has blocked roads in Shimla, Dalhousie and Manali where tourists are enjoying the fresh snow but many of them are in trouble as their vehicles have got stuck. Hundreds of vehicles are stranded in state. It may take two or three days for government to resume all the roads. Hundreds of villages have plunged into darkness as snow has snapped power transmission cables. Supply to major towns including Manali has been restored but it will take time to erect the collapsed poles and lines in
Bringing cheer to tourists and hoteliers, Himachal Pradesh has received heaviest snow of the season, with many places covered with more than 90cm thick white blanket. While snowfall will prove boon for tourism, it has crippled life in higher areas with blocked roads, snapped power cables and frozen water pipes. The snowflakes measuring upto 4cm
MANALI: Cold waves are likely to break records of last many years in Himachal as even rivers and lakes have started to freeze at many parts of the state under intense cold conditions. If you want to experience the winters of Himachal, this is the right time to visit. Chandra and Bhaga rivers of Lahaul, which gives birth to Chenab river, have frozen under extreme cold conditions. A layer of ice has covered most of the surface of the Chandra river and edges of Chenab too have covered with ice. Miyar river, tributary of Chenab too has started to freeze. The waterfalls in Lahaul and upper areas of Manali, Kinnaur and Chamba have turned hanging icicles. High altitude lakes including Chandertal, Surajtal, Deepak Tal, Rani Sui, Dashaur and Bhrigu had frozen in November. Unfortunately, most of these places including Lahaul valley have become inaccessible for tourists in winters. Now that temperature is dipping fast, water sources in lower areas are freezing where tourists can experience the winter season. Keylong, district headquarters of Lahaul-Spiti district, recorded minimum temperature of minus 11.1 degrees C on Wednesday, the lowest in the state. Kalpa in Kinnaur recorded minimum temperature of minus 4 degrees C. Manali too recorded the lowest temperature of the season at minus 3.4 degrees C. Night temperature of Shimla settled at 2.7 degrees C. Both minimum and maximum temperatures in state are 1 to 3 degrees below normal temperature during this time of the season. “Waterfalls in Lahaul have frozen. Edges of Chandra-Bhaga rivers are covered with ice. Waters of Chenab is carrying ice with it. The cold is biting residents. Even the sun has no warmth. January and February will surely bring record cold this season,” a resident Sudarshan said. Temperature in some parts of Spiti valley is expected to
MANALI: Cold waves are likely to break records of last many years in Himachal as even rivers and lakes have started to freeze at many parts of the state under intense cold conditions. If you want to experience the winters of Himachal, this is the right time to visit. Chandra and Bhaga rivers of Lahaul,
