Himachal's Narkanda, Kothi get more snowfall

Shimla, January 6

Himachal Pradesh's popular tourist destinations Narkanda, Kothi and Kalpa received more snowfall, pushing down the temperatures by several notches on Wednesday.

However, Shimla and Manali saw overnight rain, according to a MeT official.

"High-altitude areas of Lahaul-Spiti, Chamba, Mandi, Kullu, Kinnaur and Shimla districts have been experiencing moderate to heavy snow since Monday," the official said.

Keylong, the headquarters of Lahaul-Spiti, recorded 20 cm of snow, while it was 71 cm in Kalpa in Kinnaur district, the state's highest snowfall.

Kothi near Manali recorded 35 cm of snow, while picturesque tourist resort Dalhousie had 38 mm of rain.

Manali, which saw a low of 0.2 degree Celsius, experienced 43 mm rain, while Shimla with a minimum of 4.5 degrees recorded 17.5 mm rain.

Keylong recorded a low of minus 2.6 degrees Celsius, while it was minus one degree in Kalpa and 3.4 degrees in Dharamsala, which had 13.6 mm rain.

Incessant snowfall hampered vehicular traffic in Shimla, Kinnaur, Mandi and Kullu districts.

The MeT department's forecast said the western disturbances -- storm systems originating from Caspian Sea in Central Asia and moving across the Afghanistan-Pakistan region -- will remain active in the region till Thursday.

IANS