Himachal's Keylong freezes at minus 9.2

Shimla, Jan 18 (IANS) Intense cold wave conditions continue in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday with most parts under a blanket of snow. Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district at minus 9.2 degree Celsius was the coldest in the state.

Kalpa in Kinnaur district had 24.4 cm snow, the highest in the state, while parts of Shimla and Sirmaur districts experienced rains in the past 24 hours since Friday.

The Met office forecast largely dry weather in the state this weekend though.

Shimla, which saw a low of 0.2 degree Celsius, saw partly cloudy conditions. The snow in the city has largely melted.

However, Manali and its nearby destinations Kullu district, some 250 km from here, was still marooned due to the snow cover.

It was minus 4.6 degrees in Kalpa, 2.8 degrees in Dharamsala and minus 0.4 degree in Dalhousie.