High-altitude areas of Himachal Pradesh are experiencing fresh snowfall, closing several key roads for vehicular traffic. The Darcha-Shinkula, Darcha-Baralacha, and Koksar-Losar roads have been shut due to snow accumulation, while Lahaul valley has been receiving continuous snowfall since night.
Rohtang Pass, Atal Tunnel’s north portal, Darcha, Jispa, and Seven Sisters Peak have received fresh snowfall. High peaks including Baralacha, Shinkula, and Kunzum Pass have turned white. Meanwhile, capital Shimla, Kullu, and other regions continue to experience rainfall.
Pangi’s connectivity with district headquarters Chamba has been cut off due to snowfall on the Sache Jot route. Residents can now only reach Chamba district headquarters via the Kullu-Manali route. The October snowfall has confined people to their homes as the entire Pangi region comes under the grip of cold wave.
Weather forecast and alerts
The Shimla Meteorological Centre predicts light to moderate rainfall at most places on October 6 and 7. An orange alert has been issued for heavy to very heavy rainfall at some locations on October 6, while a yellow alert is in place for heavy rainfall on October 7. Light to moderate rain is expected at some places on October 8, with snowfall likely in high-altitude areas. Clear weather is expected across the state from October 9 onwards.
Today, orange alerts have been issued for Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, and Lahaul-Spiti districts, with yellow alerts for remaining districts. For Tuesday, yellow alerts for rain and storms have been issued for all districts.
Tourism boost and temperature drop
High-altitude areas of Kinnaur district have also been covered with a white blanket of snow. Chitkul experienced continuous snowfall from Monday morning. Residential areas of Chandra Valley received snowfall early in October, while Shikari Devi in Mandi saw its first snowfall. Besides Chamba peaks, Dhauladhar peaks near Dharamshala have also turned white with snow.
The snowfall has brought smiles to tourists and hotel operators. Western disturbances have become active after the monsoon’s withdrawal. The Manali-Leh route and several sections of Rohtang Pass have become slippery. The administration has advised vehicle drivers to exercise caution. Manimahesh, Chaubia, Kugti Jot, Khaprans, Kali Chhau, and Sache Pass are covered with snow. Tourist footfall has increased at Khajjiar.
Maximum temperatures have dropped by 2-5°C at most stations over the past 24 hours, with minimum temperatures expected to fall 2-4°C in high hill areas and maximum temperatures likely to drop 6-10°C in the next 24 hours.
Last night, Guler recorded 42mm rainfall, Nagrota Surian 38.4mm, Bharwain 37mm, Dehra Gopipur 35mm, and other areas received varying amounts of precipitation.
Storm damages pharmaceutical plant
In Kangra district’s Sansarpur Terrace industrial area, a pharmaceutical plant suffered lakhs in damages when a large eucalyptus tree fell on the Medirose drug company premises around 5 AM due to strong storms. A scooter was also damaged under the falling tree. Plant manager Rajesh Kumar Soni reported that a security guard on duty sustained minor injuries. The company had to halt operations due to damage both inside and outside the premises. Fortunately, the plant was closed when the tree fell, avoiding a potential major accident.
