Season’s first snow at Narkanda, Kharapathar

Bhanu P Lohumi
Tribune News Service
Shimla, November 14

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Intense cold wave sweeping most parts of Himachal further tightened its grip as the high-altitude tribal areas. Mountain passes had another spell of snow and mid and lower hills were lashed by strong-velocity icy winds.

The state capital Shimla and the adjoining tourist resorts of Kufri and Fagu were lashed strong winds while Narkanda, Kharapathar and Hatoo Peak received first mild snowfall of the season.

The local MeT Department has predicted rain and thundershowers in Una, Chamba, Kangra and Bilaspur districts and at isolated places in Shimla, Sirmour, Solan and Mandi districts. The department has also predicted snowfall in tribal Lahaul and Spiti and Kinnaur districts and higher riches of Shimla and Chamba during the next 24 hours.

The high-altitude tribal areas and high mountain passes, which earlier experienced snowfall, reeled under piercing cold wave conditions with the minimum temperatures ranging between -8°C and -13°C. Keylong, Kalpa and Manali recorded a low of -3°C, -0.2 °C and 2.2°C.

Manali was the wettest in the state with 20 mm rains followed by Kothi 18 mm, Dalhousie 11 mm, Amb 7 mm, Saloni and Kalatop 5 mm and Kufri, Una and Jubbal 3 mm. Bhuntar recorded a low of 7.6°C, followed by Shimla 7.9°C, Palampur 8.5°C, Sundernagar 9.0°C, Solan 9.6°C, Dharamsala 9.8°C and Nahan 10.7 °C.

The maximum temperatures plummeted across the state. Keylong and Kalpa in the tribal areas recorded a high of 4.6°C and 8.6°C , followed by Manali 10.6°C, Shimla 16.2°C and Dharamsala 18.2°C. The local Met office has predicted dry weather in the state over the next five days from November 16 onwards.