Snow, rain intensify cold; Chopal road opens

Tribune News Service
Shimla, January 14

Intense cold wave conditions continued in most parts following heavy snowfall in tribal areas and other hills and widespread rain in mid and lower hills today.

The normal life remained disrupted as 388 roads were closed and life virtually froze in high-altitude tribal areas with the mercury staying 15 to 22 degree below the freezing point.

Thick fog had reduced the visibility and sky remained heavily overcast, causing drop in day temperatures. A maximum of 219 roads were closed in Shimla zone, 118 in Kangra zone and 49 in Mandi zone and 372 JCBs had been pressed into service to clear the roads.

Upper Kinnaur areas, including Pooh and Sangla, were cut off following heavy snowfall in Kinnaur district, said DC, Kinnaur, Gopal Chand. Widespread rain in Shimla helped in clearing of roads in Shimla urban and rural and Theog are open to traffic.

Shimla DC Amit Kashyap said the Shimla-Chopal-Kharapathar road was open while work was on to clear the Shimla-Rampur road at Narkanda.

HRTC buses to Rampur and Kumarsain were plying via Mashobra.

In the past 24 hours, Kothi received 30 cm of snow followed by Pooh 29 cm, Kalpa 22 cm, Khadrala and Keylong 15 cm each and Kufri 12 cm. The local Met office has predicted a wet spell in the region till January 20.

Widespread rain lashed the state and Kheri with 88mm of rain was the wettest in the region followed by Amb 51 mm, Chamba 50 cm, Nagrota Surian 49 cm, Gaggal, Palampur, Dharamsala, Gohar and Kandaghat 37 each, Kasauli 35 mm, Kahu 33 mm, Naina Devi 32 mm, Mehre and Bharari 24 mm each, Sundernagar, Nadaun and Bhuntar 23 mm each, Paonta Sahib 22mm, Mandi and Dalhousie 21 mm each.

The minimum temperature decreased by 2 to 3 degrees and Keylong was the coldest with minus 5 degree followed by Kalpa minus 1.2 degree while the key tourists resorts of Manali, Shimla and Dharamsala recorded a low of minus 1.6 degree, 1.3 degree and 2.2 degree C.