Shimla, known for its picturesque winters, witnessed snowfall on Sunday, 8 December 2024, marking an early seasonal snowfall after a gap of 52 years since 1972. While the India Meteorological Department (IMD) lacks data prior to 2010, the rare occurrence has been recorded as significant. Typically, snowfall in Shimla occurs towards the end of December. Tourist hotspots Kufri and Fagu also experienced their first snow of the season. Meanwhile, continuing intermittent snowfall in Himachal Pradesh’s tribal Lahaul and Spiti districts has intensified cold conditions across adjoining valleys.
Himachal Pradesh Snowfall: 87 Roads Including National Highway-03 Blocked
The snowfall, although a welcome relief for many, has caused disruptions as well. A total of 87 roads across the state have been rendered impassable, including National Highway-03 in Kullu district. The Rohtang Pass section of NH-03 near the Gulaba check post is entirely closed, even for 4×4 vehicles.
Shimla district emerged as the worst affected, with 58 roads shut. Specific areas such as Kotkhai (16 roads), Jubbal (17 roads), Rohru (20 roads), Rampur (2 roads), Kumarsein (1 road), and Dodra Kwar (2 roads) are grappling with road closures.
Other affected districts include Chamba, where one road in Pangi is blocked; Kangra, with four roads closed in Bhawarna and two in Shahpur; Kinnaur, which has five roads shut in Kalpa and 12 in Pooh; Kullu, with one road closed in Nirmand; and Lahaul-Spiti, where two roads are blocked in the Lahaul Valley. Additionally, Una district has witnessed closures of one road each in Haroli and Una town.
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Himachal Pradesh Snowfall: Power Supply Disrupted In 457 Locations
Snowfall has also disrupted electricity in 457 locations across Himachal Pradesh. The district-wise breakdown includes Chamba (134), Kinnaur (24), Kullu (30), Mandi (131), Shimla (45), and Sirmaur (93). According to local authorities, the outages have resulted from snow and rain affecting power lines. Restoration efforts for roads and electricity are underway.
As per the IMD’s Shimla centre, Kokser reported the highest snowfall of 6.7 centimetres, followed by Khadrala (5.0 cm), Sangla (3.6 cm), Kalpa (3.0 cm), Nichar (2.5 cm), and Shimla (2.5 cm).
