Chilly conditions across Uttarakhand with snowfall, rain

Heavy snowfall lashed higher reaches of mountains in the hilly districts of Uttarakhand for the second consecutive day on Wednesday as rains in the lower areas made cold even more severe.

Gangotri and Yamunotri temples in Uttarkashi district also received snowfall for the second consecutive day.

The Rishikesh-Gangotri highway was blocked with snow at several points from Sukki Top to the Himalayan temple as water-pipelines were reported bursting at a number of places.

Heavy snowfall has affected normal life in Harsil, Mori, Barkot, and Upla Taknaur areas of the district.

With the highway blocked, Gangotri and border areas of the district are cut off from the district headquarters.

Border Roads Organisation official Vinu VS said the agency is busy clearing the highway in Uttarkashi.

Snowfall and rain continued in the upper areas of Chamoli and Rudraprayag districts with Badrinath and Kedarnath also receiving snow.

Around seventy high altitude villages in Chamoli district received snowfall on Wednesday, District Disaster Management official NK Joshi said.

Overcast conditions with intermittent rains prevailed in the lower areas of the hills and the plains including Dehradun.

The MeT department has predicted a wet spell till January 9 with light to moderate rains.

Snowfall is likely to occur at places located 2,200m high and above, it said.

Heavy snowfall is likely to occur at isolated places located at height of 3,000m and above in Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag, Pithoragarh, and Bageshwar districts of the state, said the MeT department.