Shimla, nearby areas record heavy snowfall

The mercury in the city dropped below the freezing point as a white blanket of snow today covered it and surrounding areas of Kufri and Narkanda.

The city and the nearby areas are experiencing intermittent heavy snowfall since around 7 AM.

It added to the woes of people, especially officer goers, who had go through a snail-paced traffic and disrupted power supply to some localities.

Upper areas of Shimla, Kufri and Narkanda recorded 10 cm, 15 cm and 20 cm of snow. Mercury in the capital city dipped to minus 0.3 degree Celsius.

The clearing of snow on the roads has started as the district management had made arrangement in advance after the bitter experience of first heavy snowfall which paralysed the normal life for several days.

The snow is being cleared on roads leading to hospitals on a priority basis and all Deputy Commissioners have been directed to give hourly report on the situation to the State Emergency Response Centre.

Meanwhile, the minimum temperature rose marginally at many places. Keylong and Kalpa in tribal Lahaul and Spiti districts recorded a low of minus 4 and minus 3 degrees Celsius, Manali zero, Bhuntar 4.4, Solan 5.4, Nahan 5.7, Sundernagar 6.5, Dharamsala 8.2 and Una 9.6 degrees Celsius.

The MeT office has predicted scattered rains or snow January 17 onwards for two days.