Heavy Snowfall in Himachal Pradesh : Schools and Colleges Closed Till February 3

Heavy Snowfall in Himachal Pradesh : In the wake of relentless snowfall, schools and colleges in Lahaul Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh will remain closed till February 3 (Saturday). The higher reaches of several districts, including Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, Kullu, Shimla, Sirmaur, and Chamba, have witnessed snowfall since Wednesday, with forecasts predicting the continuation of snowfall until Friday.

The capital city, Shimla, saw its first snowfall of the season on February 1, transforming the ‘Queen of Hills’ into a winter wonderland reminiscent of the colonial era. Upper Shimla district towns faced connectivity issues due to heavy snow accumulation on roads. Tourists flocked to Shimla and nearby areas such as Kufri, Mashobra, and Narkanda to witness the picturesque landscapes draped in a thick blanket of snow.

Hills surrounding Manali, including Gulaba, Solang, and Kothi, experienced moderate snowfall since January 31, with Manali town itself receiving a share of snow. Kothi, near Manali, recorded the highest snowfall in the state at 50 cm, followed by Koksar in Lahaul-Spiti and Khadrala in Shimla district.

The meteorological department reported ongoing snowfall in the higher reaches of Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, Kullu, Shimla, Sirmaur, and Chamba districts, expected to persist until Friday. Kalpa in Kinnaur and Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti also witnessed snowfall. Traffic movement beyond Dhalli, 10 km from Shimla, was disrupted as a significant stretch of the Hindustan-Tibet Road remained buried under snow.

The entire Kinnaur district and towns in Shimla district, including Narkanda, Jubbal, Kotkhai, Kumarsain, Kharapathar, Rohru, and Chopal, have been cut off due to heavy snowfall. Lower areas of the state, including Dharamsala, Solan, Nahan, and Mandi, experienced moderate to heavy rain, leading to a considerable drop in temperature.

The Meteorological Office attributed these weather conditions to a Western disturbance—a storm system originating from the Mediterranean-Caspian Sea region and moving across the Afghanistan-Pakistan region—which is expected to remain active until Friday, bringing more rain and snow to the region.