Shimla received the first snowfall of the season on Sunday, bringing cheer to tourists who come here in large numbers to celebrate Christmas and New Year. Light snowfall started around 9.15 pm at Mall Road, Jakhu, Chhota Shimla and other areas of the city.
The Meteorological Department has predicted rain and snowfall in isolated places of Himachal Pradesh on Monday.
A snow day literally and figuratively falls from the sky, unbidden, and seems like a thing of wonder.
— Indian Institute of Advanced Study (IIAS), Shimla (@IIASShimla) December 28, 2020
-Susan Orlean, Snow Day in “The New Yorker”#FreshSnowFall#SnowFallInShimla pic.twitter.com/HF8HD0kWw0
Several places in the state, including Keylong, Kalpa and Manali, shivered at sub-zero temperatures. Lahaul-Spiti’s administrative centre Keylong remained the coldest place in the state at minus 11.6 degrees Celsius, Met centre Shimla director Manmohan Singh said.
Kalpa in Kinnaur district and Manali in Kullu district recorded a low of minus 3.4 and minus 0.6 degrees Celsius, respectively, he added. Minimum temperatures in Mandi, Bhuntar, Sundernagar and Solan settled at minus 2, minus 1.6, minus 1.2 and minus 0.5 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Dalhousie and Kufri recorded a low of 2.9 and 3.6 degrees Celsius respectively. The minimum temperature in Shimla was recorded at 4.7 degrees Celsius, he added. Kangra recorded the highest temperature in the state at 19.4 degrees Celsius. The Met Centre has predicted rain and snowfall in isolated places of the state on Monday.
Himachal Pradesh: Shimla receives fresh snowfall; visuals from Jakhoo area of the city. pic.twitter.com/vyNnObEoFx
— ShimlaTimes (@ShimlaTimes) December 28, 2020
Meanwhile, the famous cave shrine of Mata Vaishno Devi atop the Trikuta Hills in Jammu and Kashmir’s Reasi district witnessed its first snowfall this season on Sunday, officials said. There was no disruption in movement of devotees, they said.
Many high-altitude areas in the Union Territory witnessed snowfall, while the plains, including Jammu city, received intermittent rains amid heavy cloud cover during most part of the day.
Beautiful Photos of Mata Vaishno Devi Bhawan after season's first snowfall.
— Rohit Choudhary (@iRohitChoudhary) December 28, 2020
Jai Mata Di 🙏 pic.twitter.com/5sBIV4884Y
The snowfall on the Trikuta Hills, including at the ‘Bhawan’ (sanctum sanctorum) of started around 5.30 pm and lasted for nearly half-an-hour, the officials said. They said the weather at the shrine remained cloudy with intermittent spells of rainfall earlier during the day. The pilgrimage to the shrine continued and the devotees were also seen enjoying the snowfall, the officials said.
Katra, the base camp for the pilgrims visiting Vaishno Devi shrine, recorded a maximum of 14.8 degrees Celsius against the previous day’s 19.8 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature settled at 5.7 degrees Celsius.