Shimla and surrounding tourist resorts of Kufri and Fagu received the season's first major snowfall on Monday, even as the entire tribal belt and other higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh [Images] shivered under a thick white blanket.

Shimla town, which had so far only received moderate sleet, was under 15 to 20 cm of snow, while Jakhoo, Kufri and Fagu had received 30 to 50 cm of snow till evening.

The snowfall left a large number of vehicles, including buses, stranded near Kufri, Dhalli and some spots on the Indo-Tibet National Highway.

The vehicular traffic to upper Shimla, including Theog, Narkanda, Chopal, Jubbal-Kotkhai and Rohroo has been suspended. Traffic is being diverted via Basantpur and Kingal.

Thick fog has engulfed the region reducing visibility considerably.