Shimla, (UNI) Himachal Pradesh witnessed the coldest night of the current winter season during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday, with intense cold conditions prevailing across the state and thick layers of frost visible in shady areas.
Sub-zero temperatures dominated the tribal and high hill regions, while several mid-hill stations hovered close to the freezing point.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Kaza in Lahaul-Spiti recorded the season’s lowest minimum temperature at minus 10 degrees, followed by Keylong at around minus seven degrees and Kukumseri at nearly minus 6.9 degrees, which was the lowest officially recorded station during the past 24 hours.
In the capital Shimla, the minimum temperature settled at 3.6 degrees, about half a degree above normal, while Manali recorded 0.2 degrees, around 1.5 degrees above normal. Dharamshala remained colder at 3.5 degrees, nearly 2.4 degrees below normal, and Solan recorded 0.6 degrees, about one degree below normal.
In the lower hills, Kangra recorded a minimum of 6.6 degrees, Una 5.5 degrees, Bilaspur 7.5 degrees and Hamirpur 7.7 degrees, all remaining two to three degrees above normal, indicating that the severe cold was largely concentrated in higher reaches.
The IMD observed no large change in minimum temperatures during the past 24 hours, though maximum temperatures witnessed an appreciable fall and remained below normal at many places.
The biting cold has revived winter sports activities, with all major ice skating rinks, including those at Shimla, Cheog and Kaza, becoming operational again, raising hopes of a long and productive skating season during the winter holidays.
Meanwhile, tourists have reason to cheer as the IMD has forecast another western disturbance becoming active on January 5 and 6, which is likely to bring light snowfall at isolated places in the high hills of the state, including Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur and parts of Chamba and Kullu, while dry weather is expected to prevail elsewhere.
At the same time, dense fog is likely to affect districts such as Bilaspur, Una, Kangra, Hamirpur, Mandi and Sirmaur during late night and morning hours over the next few days, potentially impacting traffic.
In view of black ice formation, the Lahaul-Spiti district administration has issued road advisories, keeping several stretches closed and allowing movement on select routes only for four-by-four vehicles with non-skid chains.
With minimum temperatures expected to fall further by two to three degrees before a gradual rise, severe winter conditions are set to continue across Himachal Pradesh in the coming days.
Coldest night of winter grips Himachal, ice rinks reopen; snowfall likely again
