Shimla, March 20 Intermittent snowfall continued on Friday in the higher reaches of Manali and the tribal Lahaul and Spiti district of Himachal Pradesh.
The Atal Tunnel, Solang, and Rohtang Pass were covered by a thick blanket of 90 to 120 cm of snow, while the Bhuntar-Manikaran road was closed due to a massive landslide.
The Kullu district administration has restricted vehicular traffic on the Manali-Rohtang road, allowing vehicles to go up to Nehru Kund only.
The Lahaul Valley, which is also experiencing intermittent snowfall, has been cut off, and efforts are underway to clear the Bhuntar-Manikaran road, where many vehicles are stranded due to large mounds of debris at Jachhani.
Reports of damage to a stretch of the National Highway near Manali, along with rock falls near a petrol pump close to the Bhootnath Bridge in Kullu district, have also poured in.
Residents in the mid and higher hills are facing winter-like conditions this spring, as temperatures have dropped significantly due to the rain and snowfall.
The Shimla Meteorological Office has issued a yellow warning for thunderstorms with lightning and gusty winds (speeds of 30-40 km/h) on Monday in isolated areas across four districts of Chamba, Kangra, Kullu and Mandi, and predicted a wet spell in the state till March 25.
A fresh western disturbance is likely to affect northwest India from March 22, with another active disturbance anticipated from March 26, according to the MeT office.
Hansa, Kalpa, and Gondla recorded 25 cm, 24.7 cm, and 21 cm of fresh snow, respectively, followed by Keylong with 15 cm, Kukumseri with 13.2 cm, and Sangla with 4.5 cm since Thursday evening.
Moderate to heavy rains lashed several parts of the state and Manali was the wettest with 87 mm rains, followed by Shimla 71.3 mm, Bhuntar 55.6 mm, Palampur 49.2 mm, Dharamshala 47.5 mm, Mandi 43.8 mm, Solan 41.8 mm, neri 40 mm Sundernagar 41 mm, Una 39.2 mm, Seobagh 39 mm, Joginder Nagar 38 mm, Sandhol 37.8 mm, kangra 37.4 mm, Jubberhatti 36.6 mm, Sarahan 30.2 m, Slapper 30.1 mm and Kasauli 30 mm.
Minimum temperatures stayed below normal, with Kalpa being the coldest at 0 degrees Celsius, followed by Kukumseri at 1.1 degrees, Sarahan at 2.1 degrees, Kufri at 2.9 degrees, Manali at 3.0 degrees, and Shimla at 6.6 degrees Celsius.
Una recorded the highest maximum temperature during the day at 21.2 degrees Celsius.