Snow to bring more tourists to Himachal

More visitors expected this time with December snow returning to state after a long absence

The season's first snowfall in Himachal Pradesh on Sunday is expected to bring in more tourists for Christmas and New Year celebrations this time. For many years, snow has been eluding Shimla and Manali in December.

All popular tourist destinations in the state, including Shimla, Manali, Kufri, Chail and Narkanda, are covered in snow. Icy winds lashed Shimla, which saw a high temperature of three degrees Celsius, notches below normal. Road and rail traffic was normal on the busy Kalka-Shimlaroutes.

But the road has been blocked on the Hindustan Tibet roadbeyond Shimla leading to Kufri, Fagu, Narkanda and Kinnaur. .Officials of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Manali said the 13,050-ft high Rohtang pass connecting the Kullu valley to the mountain tribal region of Lahaul and Spiti has had four feet ofsnow since Friday.

Traffic to Manali was affected as it has already snowed over a foothere. But efforts were being made to clear the snow.

The snowfall has also cheered farmers as the wet spell has broken the long dry season in the hill state.