Himachal Pradesh: Hills near Manali wrapped in snow

The hills near Manali in Himachal Pradesh on Friday received snow, a weather official said.

Manali, which saw a low of 0.6 degree, also got mild rains.

The temperatures remained below freezing point in many places in the state after overnight snow and rain, a meteorological department official told IANS.

The picturesque resort Kothi, some 15 km uphill from Manali, recorded 7.5 cm of snow.

Keylong, headquarters of Lahaul and Spiti district, was the coldest in the state with minus 5.9 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature recorded in Shimla was 4.9 degrees Celsius.

Kalpa, around 250 km from here, saw a low of minus 2.6 degrees Celsius.

The Rohtang Pass, located at 13,051 feet above sea level and 52 km from Manali, saw moderate snow since Thursday.

"The higher reaches have been experiencing moderate to heavy snowfall since Thursday," said the official.

The rain and snow were likely to continue till Saturday, he added.