Shimla and other parts of the state received a fresh spell of snowfall today, just two days ahead of Christmas. Shimla, in particular, saw snowfall (8 cm) in December after a gap of three years.
And the last time it received snowfall so close to Christmas was more than 10 years back in 2013, when it had snowed on December 22-23.
Along with the capital city, the entire upper Shimla area, comprising tourist places like Kufri and Narkanda and the apple belt, received good snowfall.
While the snowfall has been quite widespread in Shimla district, some places in the districts of Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti also saw snowfall.
The Lahaul and Spiti district administration has advised tourists to exercise caution and avoid unnecessary travel to the snowbound areas of the district.
The roads tourists have been advised to avoid include Kaza- Losar, Kaza -Kibber, Kaza-Komic and Langcha, etc. Fresh snowfall has happened at and around Atal Tunnel as well on the Manali-Leh highway, where police personnel are regulating traffic in bone-chilling temperatures.
Following the snow, over 100 roads are shut for traffic in Shimla district alone. Most of the affected roads fall in Kotkhai, Jubbal, Rohru and Rampur areas.
A few roads have been obstructed in other districts like Lahaul and Spiti, Kullu and Kangra as well. As many as six power distribution transformers, too, have been disrupted in Chamba district.
As per the weather department, there’s a possibility of one or two spells of fresh snowfall in Shimla city and the higher reaches of Kullu, Kinnaur, Shimla, Sirmaur and Lahaul and Spiti.
There’s a forecast for snow and rain for December 28 as well. Following the snowfall, cold to severe cold wave conditions are likely to occur over some parts of Una, Bilaspur, Mandi and Hamirpur.
Even as the snowfall and cold wave conditions have caused inconvenience to many, this spell of precipitation has brought cheer particularly to the apple growers who have been enduring drought like conditions for the last three months.
Fires in forests and grasslands had become quite rampant due to dry weather in the apple belt, leaving it covered with thick smoke.
“The snowfall will not only check these fires but will also offer the required chilling hours to apple plants. Also, it will check the onset of diseases and pest attack in apple trees,” said an apple grower.