Shimla, Feb 4 (PTI) Snowfall began in North Portal of Atal Tunnel in Rohtang and other higher reaches on Tuesday morning, the local Met office said on Tuesday.
The Lahaul and Spiti Police has asked all commuters to avoid unnecessary travel as snowfall turns the roads slippery and reduces visibility. Kalpa in Kinnaur district received 0.2 cm of snow.
A western disturbance as a cyclonic circulation lies over west Afghanistan and adjoining Iran, which is likely to move east-northeast wards during the next two days, the Met office said.
As a consequence, light snowfall is likely at many places and isolated spells of moderate snowfall are very likely in Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti and higher reaches of Kangra, Chamba, Shimla, Mandi, Sirmaur and Kullu districts.
Light rainfall is expected over many places in the remaining parts of Kangra, Chamba, Shimla, Mandi, Sirmaur and Kullu districts from afternoon of February 4 to midnight of February 5, it added.
The local Meteorological station had on Monday issued yellow warning of thunderstorm and lightning at isolated places in Kangra, Shimla, Solan, Kullu and Sirmaur districts.
Thunderstorms and lightning are likely at isolated places in Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur Chamba and Mandi districts on February 4.
Few spells of light snowfall with one or two moderate spells are likely over tourist destinations of Kufri, Narkanda, Manali, Solang Valley, Dalhousie, Sissu and adjoining areas from afternoon of February 4 to evening of February 5, the Met added.
Tabo in tribal Lahaul and Spiti district was the coldest at night recording a low of minus 7.1 degree Celsius, while Bhuntar in Kullu district with 25.2 degree Celsius was the hottest on Monday afternoon.
The winter season rain deficit in the state from January 1 to February 4 was 86 per cent as the state received 13.4 mm of rain against 94.1 mm normal rainfall seen during this period. PTI BPL AS AS