Snowfall in Shimla brings cheer to visitors

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 19

Shimla today witnessed another spell of moderate snowfall. The sky remained overcast, with the state capital’s temperature hovering around the freezing point.

Snow-covered roads, rooftops and trees looked splendid. Tourists and the locals were seen hurling snowballs at each other.

Snowflakes in Kufri, Fagu and Narkanda hit the traffic, with vehicles skidding off roads. While the sky remained overcast in Manali, the upper areas of Solang, Mari, Rohtang Pass, Koksar and other high altitude areas experienced moderate snowfall.

Kalpa in Kinnaur district received 10 cm of fresh snow while the state capital recorded 3 cm of snow. The lower hills of the state had light showers. Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti district recorded minus 5.7 degree Celsius while Kalpa and Manali recorded minus 3.6 degree Celsius and minus 1.6 degree Celsius. Solan, Sundernagar and Bhuntar shivered at zero degree Celsius, 0.6 degree Celsius and 0.9 degree Celsius while Shimla recorded a low of 1.6 degree Celsius followed by Una 3.0 degree Celsius, Nahan 5.1 degree Celsius and Dharamsala 5.8 degree Celsius.

Fog enveloped the lower hills while thick ground frost was seen in mid and higher hills. The high altitude tribal areas groaned under arctic conditions with minimum temperature staying between minus 10 and minus 18 degree Celsius. All natural sources of water have frozen.

The maximum temperature dropped to 4.2 degree Celsius at Keylong while Una recorded a high of 18.4 degree Celsius followed by Bhuntar 17.5 degree Celsius, Sundernagar 17.4 degree Celsius, Nahan 17.0 degree Celsius, Solan 16.8 degree Celsius, Dharamsala 13.6 degree Celsius, Shimla 12.0 degree Celsius and Kalpa 8.0 degree Celsius.

“The snowfall and showers may bring some relief to farmers, but its too late,” said farm experts. Hoteliers and local businessmen are happy and hopeful of doing a brisk business.