Hills in Himachal see partly cloudy skies; rain, snow likely this week

Shimla, February 11

The hills of Himachal Pradesh on Monday saw partly cloudy skies with the Met office forecasting rain and more snow this week.

The Manali-based Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) has advised locals and tourists to take precaution while travelling in high hills, especially tourist resorts in the Manali region, as chances of snow avalanches is high.

“There are chances of widespread rain and snow in the state on February 14,” a meteorological official told IANS.

The official said the western disturbances--storm systems originating from the Caspian Sea and moving across the Afghanistan-Pakistan region--would start in the region from February 12.

Most of the prominent tourist towns like Shimla, Narkanda, Kufri, Manali and Dalhousie, located in mid-hills, might witness snow, he added.

Picturesque tourist resort Manali saw the minimum temperature at zero degree Celsius.

Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district was the coldest place in the state with a low of -10.8 degrees Celsius.

Shimla recorded the minimum temperature at 4.1, while it was minus 4.2 degrees Celsius in Kalpa in Kinnaur district, 2.1 in Kufri, 2.9 in Dalhousie and 4.8 degrees Celsius in Dharamsala.

The snow avalanche threat is more in the Solang ski slopes, Dhundi and Beas Kund, all located in hills overlooking Manali in Kullu district, the SASE said in a bulletin that is valid till Monday. IANS