SHIMLA, March 15 — A sudden shift in weather patterns brought fresh snow to the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday, ending a prolonged period of dry weather that had lasted nearly 45 days. The rainfall in the plains and snowfall in the mountains have been welcomed by tourism stakeholders and farmers alike, who had been concerned about the lack of moisture for winter crops.
Meteorological officials affirmed that light to moderate snow was witnessed at the Atal Tunnel and higher elevations of the Shimla district. The department declared that residents should prepare for continued rain and snow through March 21. A yellow alert has been active for most of the state, warning of potential disruptions due to the inclement weather.
“The maximum temperatures have fallen by 4°C to 7°C, significantly cooling the atmosphere after a warm start to the month,” the weather department noted. While the minimum temperature in Shimla was recorded at 9.6°C, the tribal areas saw even sharper declines, with Kalpa at 3°C and Kufri at 6.4°C.
The state’s meteorological office maintained that the arrival of rain in Shimla, Dharamshala, and Bhuntar is critical for the local ecology. Officials asserted that the next few days will see a continued decline in mercury levels, with the department predicting that the cold wave will intensify before the current weather system moves out later next week.
