Fresh snowfall in Shimla, fourth heaviest in 15 years

Shimla received record-breaking snowfall yesterday, highest for a day, becoming the fourth highest level to be recorded over the past 15 years. The usually crowded Mall Road turned all white, as the once-British capital turned into a winter wonderland. Other than Shimla, its neighbouring areas including Kufri, Fagu and Narkanda also received heavy snowfall.

Other cities in Himachal Pradesh also recorded heavy snowfall, including the famous Solang Valley, which is a huge hit with tourists and skiing enthusiasts. Apart from Shimla and Solang, Manali, Vashisht, Kullu, Keylong, Lahaul, Spiti, Dalhousie and a number of places in Kinnaur also recorded heavy snowfall. Himachal’s sister state, Uttarakhand, also saw massive snowfall, especially in Uttarkashi and its higher reaches.
The recurring spate of snow has caused noticeable traffic disruption on NH 5 (Kalka - Shimla) and NH 88 (Dharamsala - Shimla).

Further up, Kashmir was also covered in fresh snow, recording a moderate to heavy day record. As per the reports, Jawahar Tunnel is still shut for all traffic owing to snow blockage. Thus, the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway is also closed for all traffic movement. Alerts have been issued for all the stated regions, and travellers have been asked to put all travel plans on hold for now.