Shimla receives early December snowfall in a decade

Shimla, Dec 10 (UNI) Shimla and other adjoining areas of Himachal Pradesh today experienced the season's first snowfall in 10 years in December, the Met office said.

The snow flakes, which began at about 1100 hrs, continued for about 45 minutes but melted away soon after even as the tree tops in Jakhu Hills, overlooking the Shimla town, wore a thin blanket of white.

Shimla Meteorological Department Director Manmohan Singh attributed the snowfall to western disturbance (WD), which lay over Himachal and said it would bring light to moderate rain and snow in the state during the next 72 hrs.

He said the tourist resort had experienced 31 cm of snowfall ten years ago on December one in 1997.

The state capital's minimum temperatures fell to 0.7 degree Celsius from yesterday's low of 4.1 degree Celsius due to about three cm snowfall.

Piercing coldwave conditions are prevailing in the entire state following the snowfall, which has plummeted minimum and maximum temperatures in the state.

Meanwhile, the Met office said the adjoining tourist place of Kufri, about 16 km from here, recorded four to five cm of snow, Narkanda 10 to 11 cm and Khara Pather 15 cm since this morning, while light rains lashed the famous tourist resort of Manali in Kullu district.

Rohtang Pass, situated at about 13,050 feet, has recorded about one feet of snowfall since yesterday, while overcast conditions are prevailing in the lower areas of Kullu district.

Bhuntar in Kullu district also experienced about 2.1 cm of snowfall since morning.

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