Keylong in tribal Lahaul and Spiti district and Kalpa in adjoining tribal district of Kinnaur recorded minimum temperatures at minus 7.6 degree and minus 3.8 degrees respectively.
The key tourist resort of Manali reeled under severe cold with mercury dipping to minus 1.5 degree celsius and Solan, Bhuntar and Sundernagar recording a low of 0.2 degree, 1.0 degree and 1.7 degree, three degree below normal.
Night temperature dropped to 2.3 degree in state capital Shimla in spite of a clear day while Una, Mandi and Nahan shivered with mercury staying at 3.0 degree, 4.8 degree and 5.9 degree.
Sunderngar was hottest in the state with maximum temperature at 20.6 degree while Bhunter and Solan recorded a high of 18.8 degree and 18.2 degree, followed by Dharamshala 17.4 degree, Nahan 16.7 degree, Una 15.2 degree, Shimla 13.9 degree and Kalpa 12.4 degree.
The high altitude tribal areas groaned under arctic conditions with minimum temperature staying between minus 10 and minus 18 degree celsius.
All natural sources of water like lakes, springs, rivulets and large stretch of chandrabhaga river in Spiti were frozen for the past three weeks, causing sharp fall in discharge of water in snow-fed Sutlej, Ravi and Beas Rivers.
The power generation in hydropower projects has also gone down sharply.
