Normal life was thrown out of gear in several parts of Himachal Pradesh as tribal areas and higher hills experienced heavy snowfall while mid and lover hills were lashed by intermittent heavy rains.
The tribal areas and other, high mountain passes and other higer hills are experiencing intermittent snowfall since last afternoon and weather office has predicted more snowfall during the next 24 hours, MeT
Tribal areas of Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti, Pangi, Rohtang, Kunzam and other high mountain passes are covered under 60 cm to 90 cm thick blanket of snow.
The snowfall and rains disrupted power supply in several areas in the tribal belt while rains triggered landslides, uprooting of trees and obstructing vehicular traffic.
Four occupants of a car had a miraculous escape when a huge rock fell on the vehicle near Parwanoo following a massive landslide.
Lahaul and Spiti Deputy Commissioner Vivek Bhatia unfurled the tricolor under freezing cold and heavy snowfall.
All schools in the Lahaul and Spiti valleys for three days.
The high altitude tribal areas reeled under piercing cold wave conditions with mercury staying between minus 15 and minus 20 degrees Celsius and life has virtually came to hault in frozen Lahaul and Spiti, Pangi and Pooh area of Kinnaur, which are cut off from rest of the state.
Traffic on Manali-Kullu highway was also disrupted due to heavy snow on the road beyond Patlikul.
The Solang ski slopes have been covered under 80 cm thick layer of snow and ski enthusiastic are making a beeline to the slopes.
Rohtang recorded 90 cm of snow till this evening, followed by Kothi 80 cm, Keylong 67, Manali 45, Pooh 40, Kalpa 34 and Khadrala 13 cm.
Heavy rains lashed mid and lower hills and Dharamsala, Sundernagar and Kasauli were wettest in the region with 65 mm rains, followed by Nainadevi 60 mm, Salooni 58, Mehre 57, Bhuntar and Seobagh 54 mm, Kangra 52, Jhandutta 50, Shimla and Baijnath 42 mm, Jogindernagar 41, Solan and Una 39, Dalhousie 37, Palampur 32 mm and Bharmaur 30 mm.
The day temperatures dropped by few notches while the minimum temperatures rose marginally and Keylong, Kalpa and Manali recorded a low of minus 1.1 degree Celsius, minus 0.8 degrees Celsius and minus 0.6 degrees Celsius respectively.
Shimla recorded a low of 4 degrees Celsius, followed by Bhuntar 4.2 degrees Celsius, Solan 6.8, Dharmsala 7.2, Palampur 8, Nalagarh and Sundernagar 8.8 and Una 12.4 degrees Celsius.
The local MeT office has predicted rains or snow in higher hills upto January 31 and moderate rains or snow in mid hills tomorrow.
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