Shimla : Tourist resorts Kufri, Narkanda, Mashobra and Dalhousie experienced snowfall in Himachal Pradesh, disrupting vehicular traffic on the Hindustan-Tibet highway and enveloping the hill state in a cold wave, officials said on Saturday.
Power and communication services were affected across the state due to the weather.
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur told the Assembly on Saturday that state received the highest snowfall after many years and that most roads were snowbound.
He said that power had snapped in his own village for a few days. He said authorities were working on a war footing to restore traffic on the roads and set right the derailed power and water supply.
Kufri recorded 10 cm of fresh snow, Narkanda 15 cm, Khadrala 7.6 cm and Dalhousie, Sangla (Kinnuar) and Shimla one cm each. The State Disaster Management Authority said the snowfall in Lahaul Spiti’s Keylong, Darcha and Solang (Manali) was not measurable.
Snowfall was also reported from Rohtang Pass, Mandi district, Kamru Nag, Kullu Jalori, Atal Tunnel and Manali.
A total of 262 roads were snowbound on Saturday. A total of 46 transformers and 11 water supply schemes were disrupted.
Heavy rains were reported in Kangra district, Ghamroor, Chamba Una, Dharmshala, Kangra, Bhuntar (Kullu), and Nahan (Sirmaur).
Keylong was the coldest in the state at minus 6.3 degrees Celsius. The temperature in Kalpa was minus 3, in Dalhouse and Kufri minus 0.4, Solan 3.7, Dharmshala 7.4, Kangra 8.8 and Hamirpur 9.2 degrees Celsius.
The Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rains and snowfall in a few places and mainly rain or snow in most places in the next 24 hours in the state.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.