The parts of Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur, and higher reaches of Kullu and Chamba districts on Monday witnessed moderate to heavy snowfall, the Meteorological (MeT) office stated. A "red" alert has been issued by the weather office for "heavy" to "very heavy" rain/snowfall and thunderstorms in seven out of 12 districts of Himachal Pradesh, along with hail, gusty winds, and lightning.
Kusumseri, Udaipur, Gondla, Keylong, and Hansa in Lahaul and Spiti districts received 50.6 cm, 39 cm, 27 cm, 21 cm, and 11 cm of snowfall respectively while Kalpa and Pook in Kinnaur district received 2.6 cm and i cm snow besides Bharmour in Chamba which received 12 cm of snow, it said.
The higher reaches of Kullu, including the south portal of the Atal Tunnel, are receiving intermittent snowfall, and traffic beyond Manali has been stopped. The higher areas of Dalhousie also received snow, according to reports.
“Light” to “moderate” rains occurred in mid and lower hills and Tissa in Chamba received the highest rainfall of 41 mm followed by Sangla, Bharmour, and Manali 11 mm each, Dalhousie and Chamba 5 mm each.
Cold wave conditions have revived in the state. The sky remained heavily overcast and strong winds lashed the region, signalling more snow and rain in the state. A western disturbance has affected the western Himalayan region since Saturday night.
The MeT office has cautioned that essential services like electricity, water, and communication could be affected. The minimum temperatures rose by a few notches and stayed two to eight degrees above normal, it said.
Kusumseri was coldest in the state with a low of minus 0.5 degrees while Kangra and Dharamshala recorded night temperatures of 13.8 degrees and 11.2 degrees respectively, which was 8.3 degrees and 4.2 degrees above normal. Bilaspur was the hottest in the state during the day at 25.7 degrees.
The MeT department also issued an “orange” warning of heavy rain/snow and thunderstorms accompanied by hail, gusty wind, and lighting at isolated places on Tuesday and predicted rains or snow at isolated places on February 22, 23, and 24.
The residents, tourists, tourism stakeholders, and farmers are happy as snowfall would increase tourist footfall, and snow and rain are also beneficial for crops and apples.
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