Uttarakhand received a fresh spell of snowfall Wednesday as higher reaches were seen covered in snow. Auli in Chamoli district and the crisis-hit Joshimath were among the areas that witnessed snowfall. Visuals also captured the Gangotri Dham in Uttarkashi – a popular pilgrimage site, situated in the lap of mountains – shrouded in white and looking majestic. Scenes were no different in Himachal; the roads in Narkanda town were blanketed in the fresh burst of snow from this morning as far as the eyes could see. In Jammu and Kashmir, snow lashed down the hills, causing an avalanche in Sonamarg area of Ganderbal district. No loss was reported. The rest of Northern India too has been in the grip of a severe cold wave, which is expected to further intensify from January 14, according to reports.
The India Meteorological Department Wednesday warned of a fresh snowfall in some areas in Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur for the next three days.”Snowfall in some areas in Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur, it’ll continue for 3 days. Moderate snowfall in upper reaches while light to moderate rainfall/snowfall in other areas. Shimla to get light rainfall and there’s less probability of snowfall,” said S Paul, IMD Shimla official.
While snow may intensify the chill and force people indoors, those in the travel and tourism business await such scenes to boost tourist inflow into the hills.
Meanwhile, the weather department has said the temperature is likely to drop to as low as -9 degrees Celsius in a fresh cold wave that is likely to grip the northern plains over the weekend and the next week. Parts of Northern India are likely to experience a drop in temperatures to a minimum of -4 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 2 degrees Celsius in the plains, according to weather experts.
Trending Topics to Follow
