Snow at Rohtang, Kalpa & rain in lower areas revive chill

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 21

The higher reaches and tribal areas received another spell of moderate snowfall, while the mid and lower hills were lashed by scattered rain, causing a steep fall in the day temperature (by five to seven notches) on Wednesday.

Strong winds accompanied by thundershowers lashed Shimla and its surrounding areas.

The sky remained heavily overcast making people shiver. Stormy conditions are not conducive for fruit crops which are at the flowering stage and also for the wheat crop in the lower hills.

In spite of sporadic rain, post-winter rain deficit was 74 per cent. The region received 19.9 mm rain during the day. All districts recorded deficit rain ranging between 51 per cent (Kullu) and 93 per cent (Solan).

Kalpa in Kinnaur district received 6-cm snow, while Rohtang and Kothi recorded 10-cm and 8-cm snow. Dalhousie in Chamba district received 21-mm rain, while Dharamsala and Manali had 13 mm and 11 mm of rain followed by Chamba 10 mm, Kufri and Manali 9 mm, Narkanda 8 mm, Nahan 6 mm, Una and Bhuntar 5 mm and Shimla and Kangra 3 mm.

The day temperature dropped from 34 degrees C to 26.8 degrees C at Una, while the capital recorded a high of 14.6 degrees C.

The maximum temperature at Nahan and Dharamsala was 23.5 degrees C and 20.8 degrees C followed by Solan and Sundernagar 20.5 degrees C. Palampur 18.9 degrees C, Bhuntar 18.4 degrees C, Manali 12.4 degrees C, Kalpa 10.2 degrees C and Keylong 1.6 degrees C.

Keylong was the coldest in the region with a low of minus 0.9 degrees C, while Kalpa and Manali recorded 2.8 degrees C and 4.8 degrees C followed by Shimla 9.3 degrees C, Solan 10.0 degrees C, Dharamsala and Nahan 11.9 degrees C, Palampur 12.0 degrees C and Una 15.2 degrees C.

The Met office has predicted rain and thundershowers at a few places in the mid hills and rain or snow at at isolated places in the mid and higher hills on Thursday and dry weather in the region over next five days.