More snowfall, rains predicted in HP from Jan 30

The Meteorological Department has predicted heavy snowfall and rains in Himachal Pradesh from Wednesday, an official said Sunday.

A fresh western disturbance is very likely to affect western Himalayan and adjoining plains from January 29 and it would lead to scattered to fairly widespread rain and snowfall in the state from January 30 to February 1, Shimla MeT centre director Manmohan Singh said.

On Sunday, Shimla received 1.1 cm of snowfall and Kinnaur's Kalpa got 0.3 cm of snowfall from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm, he added.

Janjehli in Mandi district, Kufri and Kharapathar in Shimla district also received 2 cm of snowfall during the period, he added.

The maximum temperature in Keylong was minus 5.2 degrees Celsius, minus 2.8 degrees Celsius in Kalpa, minus 1.4 degrees Celsius in Kufri, 2.9 degrees Celsius in Dalhousie, 5.3 degrees Celsius in Manali and 6.8 degrees Celsius in Shimla on Sunday.

Similarly, the minimum temperature in Manali was minus 5 degrees Celsius, followed by minus 4.2 degrees Celsius in Kufri, minus 1.5 degrees Celsius in Dalhousie and minus 0.2 degrees Celsius in Shimla, he added.

Lahaul and Spiti's administrative centre Keylong continued to be the coldest place with a low of minus 17 degrees Celsius, Singh said, adding that the minimum temperature in Kinnaur's Kalpa was minus 5.2 degrees Celsius.

Meanwhile, an official spokesperson has advised people not to venture in avalanche prone slopes in Shimla, Chamba, Lahaul-Spiti, Kullu and Kinnaur districts in a next few days.

As per the Public Works Department (PWD), 406 roads are still closed for traffic after fresh snowfall. Of them, 216 roads will be opened by Monday and remaining 190 roads will be opened shortly, Singh said.