BIG CHILL: Snowfall in HP throws life out of gear

Several areas were cut off on Monday and vehicular traffic came to a halt as frsh snowfall in Shimla, Kinnaur, Chamba and some other areas threw normal life out of gear.

Shimla was covered a thick blanket of 30cm of snow while Kufri, Narkanda, Sarahan, Khara-Patthar and Matiana received 100cm to 150cm of snow.

The Hindustan-Tibet national highway, Shimla-Rohroo and Shimla-Chopal highway were blocked due to heavy snow and upper Shimla and Kinnaur were cut off from the rest of the state.

Shimla-Kalka highway was also blocked from Wakanaghat and no bus or other vehicle reached or left from Shimla in the morning hours. Traffic partially resumed in the afternoon and people went without newspaper, milk, vegetables and other necessities in the morning.

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Public Works Department men were at work to clear the roads and snow-cutters have been deployed to clear the main highways.

Shimla, which experienced second heavy snowfall of the season on Sunday, continued to experience intermittent snow on Monday and the state capital shivered in the coldest night of the season with minimum temperature dipping to minus 3.0 degree C while Manali, which had 25 cm of fresh snow, was at a low of minus 1.6 degree.

While tourists could not reach adjoining tourist resorts of Kufri and Wildflower Hall, ski lovers made a beeline to Kufri slopes and waded through 10km through knee-deep snow  to enjoy skiing.

People enjoyed the snowfall by throwing snowballs, making snowman and sledging on the snow-covered. The winter carnival got off to a colourful start at Manali with the town covered under a thick blanket of snow.

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Hundreds of people assembled for the carnival but Chief Minister P K Dhumal, who was to inaugurate the event, could not reach due to inclement weather.

The high mountain passes of Rohtang, Chansel, Saach, and Kunzam and Dhauladhar and Churdhar ranges in Kangra and Sirmaur were receiving intermittent heavy snowfall for the past four days.

Traffic partially resumed in the afternoon and people went without newspaper, milk, vegetables and other necessities in the morning.

PWD men were at work to clear the roads and snow-cutters have been deployed to clear the main highways. Shimla, which experienced second heavy snowfall of the season yesterday, continued to experience intermittent snow on Monday and the state capital shivered in the coldest night of the season with minimum temperature dipping to minus 3.0 degree C while Manali, which had 25 cm of fresh snow, was at a low of minus 1.6 degree.

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While tourists could not reach adjoining tourist resorts of Kufri and Wildflower Hall, ski lovers made a beeline to Kufri slopes and waded through 10km through knee-deep snow to enjoy skiing.

People enjoyed the snowfall by throwing snowballs, making snowman and sledging on the snow-covered. The winter carnival got off to a colourful start at Manali with the town covered under a thick blanket of snow.

Hundreds of people assembled for the carnival but Chief Minister P K Dhumal, who was to inaugurate the event, could not reach due to inclement weather.

The high mountain passes of Rohtang, Chansel, Saach, and Kunzam and Dhauladhar and Churdhar ranges in Kangra and Sirmaur were receiving intermittent heavy snowfall for the past four days.

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The majestic Dhauladhar ranges, dobbing a mantle of spotless snow, presented a dazzling look as sun rays fell on the peaks in the morning. The minimum temperatures dipped by three to four degrees following widespread snow and rains and Solan and Palampur recorded a low of minus 1.0 degree and zero degree after 13 mm and 34 mm of rains.

Sundernagar and Bhuntar also experienced 22.8 mm and 14.7 mm, bringing down the mercury to 4.1 degree. The local MeT office predicted mainly dry weather on Tuesday with minor fluctuation in mercury.

The snowfall has brought cheers to apple growers as snowfall during the first half of January is considered as white manure for the crop.

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