No snowfall in many tourists spots of Himachal on New Year

Shimla, Jan 1 (PTI) Thousands of tourists who thronged Himachal Pradesh to ring in the New Year were left disappointed as snowfall eluded key hill stations, including Shimla, Dharamshala, Manali and Kasauli.

However, fresh snow was recorded in higher reaches of Kullu, Lahaul and Spiti and Chamba.

The local meteorological office has forecast light rain at isolated places in the lower hills and light rain or snow at a few places on Thursday, followed by dry weather for the next five days.

Some tourists visiting Dalhousie and Shimla experienced light snowfall in higher reaches such as Barakot near Dalhousie and Kufri, Fagu and Narkanda in upper Shimla areas on Thursday.

Videos of tourists enjoying the snow have been circulating on social media.

Tepa village in Churah area of Chamba district received moderate snowfall, ending a two-month-long dry spell and bringing relief to locals and farmers.

Koksar and Gondla in Lahaul and Spiti district received 1.7 cm and 0.3 cm of snow respectively since Wednesday afternoon.

Minimum temperatures dipped marginally and remained below normal at many places. Kukumseri was the coldest place in the state at 4.2 degrees Celsius, followed by Tabo at minus 3.4 degrees and Kalpa at minus 0.4 degrees.

Narkanda recorded a minimum temperature of 0.5 degrees Celsius, followed by 1.5 degrees in Kufri, 4 degrees in Shimla, 5 degrees in Dharamshala and 5.2 degrees in Manali.

Gusty winds with speeds ranging between 37 and 46 kmph were recorded in Seobagh and Narkanda, while moderate fog was observed in Paonta Sahib and shallow fog in parts of Bilaspur, Mandi and Kangra districts.

A yellow warning for dense fog has been issued for isolated places in Una and Hamirpur districts, parts of Kangra, Mandi, Solan and Sirmaur districts till January 4, the MeT said.

Many tourists and residents began the New Year by visiting temples across the state.

December 2025 was the sixth driest December in Himachal Pradesh since 1901, with the state receiving 0.1 mm rainfall against a normal of 38.1 mm, a deficit of 99 per cent. All districts, except Lahaul and Spiti, recorded 100 per cent rainfall deficit during the month. PTI BPL OZ OZ