Cold wave tightens grip on Himachal Pradesh, fresh snowfall reported in higher areas |

A fresh wave of snowfall affected the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh, while severe cold wave conditions with dense fog and ground frost persisted in several parts of the region for the past 24 hours, as per the UNI. The prevailing weather system has further tightened winter’s grip, especially over the trans-Himalayan and high hill areas. During the last 24 hours, a fresh snowfall of about 2 cm had been received at Khoksar in Lahaul-Spiti district, said the Meteorological Centre, Shimla. Mild snowfall was also reported in Kalpa and Gondla, besides light to very light snow at a few places over the high hill areas. Although the snowfall was light, it was sufficient enough to add intensity to cold and disrupt movement on sensitive parts.

Minimum temperatures continued their barometric slide and dropped further by several notches in trans-Himalayan region where tribal town Tabo shivered at minus 10.2 degrees Celsius to become the coldest place in the state. Multiple weather stations in Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur and upper Chamba too continued to record below freezing point temperatures, indicating prolonged cold conditions. Kukumseri and Khoksar in Lahaul-Spiti recorded night temperatures between minus 9 and minus 10 degrees Celsius, ensuring the entire region continued to experience sub-zero conditions. Cold wave conditions also persisted in Kalpa and Sangla in the neighbouring Kinnaur district whose minimum temperatures hovered between minus 2 and minus 4 degrees Celsius. The presence of abundant frost also added to the cold, especially after night and in early morning.Read more: This place in India is freezing at –18°C, once hit –60°C, and is now colder than Serbia Mid-hill zones did not escape either. The state capital Shimla experienced a low of around 2.6 degrees Celsius, while picturesque tourist resort Manali shivered at 1.8 degrees Celsius. The popular hill station Chamba district recorded the night temperature at 0.8 degree Celsius, whereas it was minus two degrees in Kufri and Narkanda. Manali shivered at a low of minus 2.4 degrees Celsius, Mandi and Solan recorded minimum temperatures at 4 and 6 degrees Celsius respectively. The minimum temperatures in lower hills and plains such as Dharamshala, Kangra and Una settled between 6 to 8 degrees Celsius, but due to dense fog and high moisture levels conditions were many times worse than the reading revealed. Read more: Anand Mahindra called this place in India a “phenomenal sight deserves a spot on every bucket list”—here’s why Intermittent sunshine throughout the day in most places gave a fillip to maximum temperatures even though icy winds and overnight frost kept piercing chill under wraps in Himachal Pradesh, where nights were freezing. Wind chill and frost continued to dominate the cold conditions, even in otherwise less frigid parts of the region. Given the current weather condition, a special travel advisory was issued for commuters, tourists by the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) of Lahaul-Spiti. Travellers were advised to be cautious, avoid travel during night and early morning hours unless absolutely necessary and follow the advice of competent authority in snow-bound and frost-prone areas as winter conditions sustained their severity across the state.