Cold wave grips Himachal after rare early-season snowfall

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Yog Raj Sharma

The North News

Shimla, October 7

Unseasonal snowfall has covered several high-altitude areas of Himachal Pradesh in a white blanket during the first week of October. The upper reaches of Lahaul-Spiti, Chamba, Kinnaur and Kullu districts witnessed fresh snowfall, while the Chanshal Peak in Shimla district also received its first snow of the season. Heavy rain and snowfall have disrupted normal life in parts of Chamba district, with cold waves sweeping across the lower regions. The sudden change in weather has caused a sharp drop in temperatures, with maximum readings plunging 6 to 14 degrees Celsius below normal in several areas over the past 24 hours.

According to Sandeep Kumar Sharma, a scientist at the Meteorological Centre in Shimla, such early October snowfall was last recorded in 2018, when Keylong experienced snow on 11 October. “This time, snowfall occurred between 5 and 7 October,” he said.

He added that except for 2023 and 2024, residential areas have often witnessed snowfall in the later weeks of October. Currently, temperatures in Keylong have fallen below freezing point.

The Met department forecasts more rain and snowfall across several parts of the state until October 9, after which the weather is expected to clear from October 10 onwards.