More snowfall in Shimla, Manali

Shimla, Jan 21 (IANS) The Himachal capital Shimla and nearby Manali received a fresh spell of overnight snow bringing down temperatures in the hill state as well as affecting the plains below, officials said on Tuesday.

Traffic in towns in upper Shimla district was partially hampered in the morning with snow piled on roads, however, it gave the resort and its neighbouring areas a picturesque look.

The snow that froze the "Queen of Hills", as Shimla was fondly called by the erstwhile British rulers, largely melted in the morning.

It was a low of zero degree Celsius here. Manali town received 9 cm snowfall and saw a low of minus 1.6 degrees.

Tourists have been flocking to Shimla and nearby places like Kufri, Mashobra and Narkanda even for weekends.

Hills overlooking Manali like Gulaba, Solang and Kothi have been experiencing moderate snow since Monday evening, according to a meteorological official here.

Kalpa in Kinnaur district, which saw 4 cm snow, recorded a minimum of minus 7.4 degrees, while it was minus 2.3 degrees in Dalhousie and 2.1 in Dharamsala, which was lashed by 13.6 mm rain.

"The higher reaches of Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, Kullu, Shimla, Sirmaur and Chamba districts have been experiencing snowfall since Monday evening, while mid and lower hills experiencing rain," the IMD official said.

The Met Office said a Western disturbance -- a storm system originating from the Mediterranean-Caspian Sea region and moving across the Afghanistan-Pakistan region -- would recede by Wednesday.