Chandigarh, November 27: Shimla district on Wednesday received the first snow of the season while the high-altitude tribal areas, hills and mountain passes were covered with a heavy blanket of snow.
Many welcomed the early snow, while others were not so happy as they said it would mean harsh winters ahead.
“When I woke up in the morning I saw it was snowing. There is no electricity since Tuesday night and I am sure it is going to be a harsh winter this year. Hope the government makes adequate arrangements,” said Ashish Sunta from Rohru.
Dr Shilpi Tanta, a newly appointed doctor in Jubbal, said: “It was such a beautiful sight. I was delighted to see snow all around the first thing in the morning.”
Tourist destination Kufri and Narkanda also experienced mild snowfall that melted soon.
Picturesque tourist resort Kalpa was wrapped in a blanket of snow. The government has advised motorists to check road conditions before travelling to higher reaches in the hills as there were chances of more snowfall till Thursday.
Shimla and Manali towns experienced rains. Keylong was the coldest in the state with a low of minus six degrees Celsius.
The MeT department on Tuesday had issued a yellow-weather warning for rain and snow in some places in Himachal Pradesh over the next two days due to a western disturbance.
The MeT department had issues colour-coded warnings to alert the public ahead of severe or hazardous weather which has the potential to cause “damage, widespread disruption and/or danger to life”.
Yellow is the least dangerous among the warnings.
There will be rain and snow at most places in high and middle hills with heavy thunderstorm accompanied by lightning and hailstorm at isolated places in the plains and low hills on November 27 and 28, Shimla Meteorological Centre director Manmohan Singh said.
Some areas in the higher reaches of the state received snow on Tuesday also, while some other places received rain, causing the mercury to drop a few notches, he said. With inputs from agencies
