Snowfall likely in Shimla this week

Shimla, January 1

If you want to enjoy snowfall in Himachal, extend your stay as the Met office on Tuesday predicted snow this week.

Director, Meteorological office, Manmohan Singh said a western disturbance was likely to be active in the region from January 1, bringing rain and snowfall.

Shimla is recording the warmest days owing to long sunny spells, while cities such as Chandigarh, Amritsar, Karnal, New Delhi and Lucknow, located in the plains, are reeling under cold wave conditions with the sun fogged out.

Hill destinations have been experiencing long hours of sunny weather for over a week and the day temperatures in most places have risen.

Another official at the Shimla meteorological bureau said the maximum temperature in the hill state was one-two degrees above the season’s average. However, nights and mornings were intensely cold.

“Under the influence of western disturbance, light to moderate scattered rainfall and snowfall will occur in the state till January 2. Another western disturbance will be active from January 4 with another chance of widespread precipitation,” he said.

The probability of snowfall in Shimla, Kufri, Narkanda, Manali, Kalpa and Dalhousie is high till January 6.

Members of the hospitality industry said most of the tourists were enquiring about the chances of snowfall.

Despite prevailing dry weather, most of the hotels in Shimla, Kufri, Kasauli, Chail, Dharamsala, Palampur and Manali were jam-packed to ring in the New Year.

“Some of our guests are preferring to extend their stay with a hope to enjoy the snowfall,” DP Bhatia, liaison officer with the Oberoi Group, said.

Akansha Malhotra and Aryaman, a couple from New Delhi, said they had extended their New Year holidays in Shimla “as there were chances of snowfall”.

The mountain peaks viewed from Shimla and the Dhauladhar peaks overlooking the Dalai Lama’s official palace in McLeodganj near Dharamsala are covered by a white blanket.

In Shimla, located around 7,000 ft above sea level, the minimum temperature was 5.2°C on Tuesday, whereas the maximum was 16.3°C on Monday. —IANS

More tourists thronging Queen of Hills 

Although the tourist rush in the capital city dropped by 30% on Tuesday, hoteliers said more tourists are coming in hope of snowfall. Harnam Kukreja, a former president of the Shimla Hoteliers and Restaurant Association, said occupancy in hotels dropped but more tourists were coming in the wake of the forecast. TNS

Manali: New Year celebrated with fervour 

The New Year eve was celebrated with fervour in Manali town, which received a huge rush of tourists on Monday night. The room occupancy of the hotels in the town went up to 90 per cent, which elated the hoteliers. On Monday evening, a large number of tourists thronged the Mall Road to ring in the New Year. However, they were a little disappointed as there was no snowfall. Anju Gupta and Manish Gupta, a couple hailing from Delhi, said “We will stay here till the inauguration of winter carnival to enjoy the Himachali culture, folk and dance. We are a bit disappointed though as we had come here to experience snowfall.” TNS

‘Orange warning’ of heavy rain 

• The IMD has issued a warning of heavy rain and snowfall in most parts of Himachal on Friday and Saturday
• Issuing an ‘orange warning’ of heavy rain and snowfall in most parts of the state on Friday and Saturday, Manmohan Singh, director, Meteorological Centre, Shimla, asked the authorities concerned to be prepared as this might lead to blockage of roads and landslides, especially in regions of high and mid hills
• The Kangra administration has asked its officials to take all possible precautionary measures following the advisory, a district official said PTI