Himachal Pradesh: The state is set to witness another spell of snowfall. The weather department has issued an orange alert for light to moderate snowfall/rain in the higher and adjoining hill areas along with heavy rain at some places from tomorrow till December 29. Also, many places will experience cold to very cold weather till December 29. There is some “very high chance” of snowfall at most tourist destinations across the state, including Shimla, tomorrow and the day after. If the forecast proves to be correct, Shimla and adjoining areas will witness the third spell of snowfall in December. And this will be only the second time in the last 10 years that the city will witness three spells of snowfall in December – Shimla had witnessed three spells of snowfall in December 2014. Since then, snowfall in December has reduced, so much so that the last three Decembers have been completely dry. This forecast will please stakeholders in the tourism sector, who are already delighted by the snowfall before Christmas. The snowfall on December 23 has led to a huge increase in the number of tourists in the state for Christmas and another snowfall will bring a good crowd of tourists to all the tourist places in the state for the New Year. Also, this is a pleasant news for apple growers, for whom the December snowfall is very useful. On the other hand, the maximum temperature is likely to drop by 6 degrees Celsius to 8 degrees Celsius in the next three days, which may lead to cold wave conditions in many places in the state. Also, traveling in snow-covered areas will become difficult as roads may be blocked or slippery. Visibility will be low in many places. The department has advised people to drive cautiously and limit outdoor activities during the coming three days. Rains are likely to continue in December as well. In the forecast till January 9, the Meteorological Department says that light to moderate rain/snowfall is “very likely” in most parts on some days.
Himachal: Possibility of snowfall today, orange alert issued
