Himachal begins New Year with sunshine

It was a sunny day Wednesday in Himachal Pradesh with overnight snow in Manali turning it more picturesque.

"It was bright and sunny after two days of widespread snow and rain," an official of the Met Office told IANS.

The minimum temperature was 1.6 degrees Celsius in Shimla, which saw mild spells of rain.

Shimla's nearby destinations like Kufri and Narkanda experienced moderate snowfall in the past 24 hours.

Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district shivered with minus 5.7 degrees Celsius, the coldest place in the state.

Kalpa in Kinnaur district saw a low of minus 3.2 degrees, while the minimum temperature was minus 0.2 degree Celsius in Manali.

The meteorological office here said the western disturbance has started retrieving from the region, but temperatures would nosedive further.