Overcast skies and rain grip several parts of the state; Darcha-Shinkula route closed to two-wheelers, while debris disrupts traffic on Larji-Sainj road
Shimla: With winter approaching, changing weather conditions have brought a fresh spell of cold to Himachal Pradesh, with rain lashing several areas and intermittent snowfall reported over high-altitude regions. Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti remained under overcast skies on Sunday, October 11, as snowfall was recorded on mountain peaks, including the Rohtang and Shinkula passes.
The snowfall led to the closure of the Darcha-Shinkula route to two-wheeler traffic. Rainfall was also reported in Kullu and Manali, bringing down temperatures and intensifying the cold across the region, particularly in the higher reaches of Kullu and Lahaul-Spiti.
Meanwhile, rainfall triggered the sliding of debris onto the road at Pagalnala on the Larji-Sainj route, disrupting traffic for several hours. The changing weather conditions also affected movement across hilly areas, raising concerns over road accessibility in vulnerable stretches.
Shimla and other parts of the state also received rainfall from Sunday morning. According to the daily weather bulletin issued by the Meteorological Department on October 11, rainfall is likely to continue in several parts of the state over the coming days. Snowfall is expected in high-altitude areas, while thunderstorms, lightning and hailstorms remain possible in certain districts.
Rain, Snow Likely to Continue
The Meteorological Department has forecast light to moderate rain or snowfall at a few places on October 12 and 13. On October 14 and 15, rainfall is expected in many areas, while higher reaches may receive fresh snowfall. Light rain or snow may also occur at isolated places towards the latter part of the week.
The department has also indicated the possibility of thunderstorms and lightning in some districts on different days between October 12 and 15.
However, no specific district-level warnings have been issued for Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur for this period. Despite the absence of specific warnings, the possibility of rain or snowfall in high-altitude areas of these districts remains.
The changing weather is likely to bring further fluctuations in temperatures across the state. According to the Meteorological Department, minimum temperatures may fall by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius in several areas over the next 24 hours.
Following the initial decline, minimum temperatures are expected to rise gradually by 2 to 3 degrees Celsius over the subsequent two to three days.
Maximum temperatures are also likely to witness a significant drop of 4 to 5 degrees Celsius during the next 24 hours, before gradually increasing by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius over the following two to three days.
