In the last week of January, the weather has taken a turn. Rain across Northern Indian states from Delhi, UP, and Haryana to Rajasthan has intensified the cold, while in the mountains, heavy snowfall has dropped the mercury.
According to the Meteorological Department (IMD), this change is due to the Western Disturbance. Snowfall has occurred from Jammu and Kashmir to Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. On Basant Panchami, areas from Manali to Shimla are covered with a thick, white blanket of snow.
The return of snowfall in the mountains has transformed the scenery in an instant. Jammu and Kashmir now appear as a beautiful spread of white as far as the eye can see.
Shimla has been graced with a generous fall, and in Manali as well, the weather has made a dramatic shift, causing some disruptions. The Atal Tunnel in Rohtang had to be closed due to significant snowfall.
Shopian, Ramban, and Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir have recorded the season's heaviest snowfall yet. And it's not just Kashmir; even those regions of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where snow is rare during this season, are now glistening with white.
So much snow has accumulated on Mall Road in Shimla that it's hard to recognize the streets. Manali, previously dry, now looks forward to bustling with tourists thanks to the fresh snow.
In Manali, when locals stepped outside in the morning, they saw pristine white snow everywhere. The valley looks enchanting with the snow adorning it. Approximately two inches of snow has already been recorded in Manali city, and it continues to fall. Fortunately, vehicle movement on the national highway and main roads is still normal.
It's worth noting that areas like the Atal Tunnel and Sissu Valley experienced snowfall earlier, but now Manali city itself is experiencing it. Typically, the main snowfall season in Manali runs from December to February, but this year it has started towards the end of January.
The Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heavy snowfall alert for today, January 23, across the mountain states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, among others.
