Chamba, June 22: A sudden spell of June snow briefly paralyzed vehicular movement along the popular Dalhousie-Lakkarmandi-Khajjiar highway on Monday morning before emergency crews restored access. The roadblock lasted for approximately two hours, leaving several holidaymakers caught in a temporary traffic jam along the mountain pass.
The regional administration reacted swiftly to prevent extended delays on the crucial tourist corridor. A Public Works Department spokesperson declared, “Our teams promptly deployed earth movers to the affected stretch, working efficiently to clear the snow and restore normal traffic flow as quickly as possible.”
The disruptions did little to damp the spirits of the travelers caught in the gridlock. Visitors in the area welcomed the unseasonal white blanket covering the landscape, viewing the rare June snow as an unexpected bonus to their summer getaway.
The snowfall coincides with a wider spell of wet weather affecting the hill state, with multiple districts experiencing thunderstorms and lightning since Sunday evening. Data from the past twenty-four hours indicates that Jot recorded the highest rainfall at 22.8 mm, with Slapper following at 14.3 mm, alongside lighter showers ranging from 3 mm to 9 mm in Dhaulakuan, Bharmaur, Sundernagar, Sangla, Manali, and Shimla.
Unstable atmospheric conditions are projected to persist throughout the week, prompting official safety advisories. A meteorologist from the Shimla station maintained, “Isolated pockets of the state remain under a yellow warning for the next four days due to the high probability of thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds.”
