Snow plunges Manali temperature to below freezing point

A day after mild snowfall, the popular tourist destination of Manali in Himachal Pradesh witnessed the season's lowest temperature of minus 1.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday.

The temperature remained below the freezing point at many places in the state, an official of the meteorological office here told IANS, adding the weather would remain largely dry.

Keylong, headquarters of Lahaul-Spiti district, saw a minimum temperature of minus 1.1 degrees Celsius. There was 10 cm snow.

Kalpa in Kinnaur district, that witnessed 11 cm snow, recorded a low of minus 2.6 degrees Celsius, while the temperature was 6.8 degrees in Dharamsala.

The state capital, where temperature was 3 degree Celsius, recorded 35.4 mm rain, while Manali saw 6 cm snow and 39 mm rain.

Shimla's nearby destination Kufri and Narkanda recorded mild spells of snowfall on Friday. But it disappeared within a few hours.

As news of the snowfall flashed across the plains, tourists started arriving in the hills to witness snow.