Snowfall turns disastrous, 835 roads closed in Himachal, tourists stranded in jams, rain and snow alert issued

Shimla (The Uttam Hindu): Heavy snowfall has severely disrupted normal life across Himachal Pradesh. A total of 835 roads, including three national highways, have been closed for traffic, causing major difficulties for local residents as well as tourists. The Meteorological Department has warned that another western disturbance is becoming active, bringing fresh rain and heavy snowfall in higher-altitude areas from today.

According to the State Emergency Operations Centre, Lahaul–Spiti district has been the worst affected. Around 282 roads are closed here, including National Highway-3 (Leh–Manali) and NH-505 (Kaza–Gramphu). In Shimla district, 234 roads are shut, followed by 110 in Mandi, 78 in Chamba, and 65 in Kullu, including NH-305 (Sainj–Luhri–Aut). Other closures include 41 roads in Sirmaur, 18 in Kinnaur, four in Kangra, and three in Una. Authorities are working on a war footing to clear snow from roads.

1,942 power transformers disrupted

Due to heavy snowfall, 1,942 electricity transformers have stopped functioning across the state. These include 789 in Shimla, 354 in Sirmaur, 284 in Mandi, 277 in Chamba, 174 in Kullu, 27 in Lahaul–Spiti, and 23 in Solan. As a result, power supply remains disrupted in thousands of homes.

On Sunday, light snowfall and rain were recorded in higher regions, while plains remained mostly dry. Cold wave conditions prevailed in Manali, Una, Hamirpur, Kangra, Mandi, and Bilaspur. The minimum temperature in Tabo village of Lahaul–Spiti dropped to minus 10 degrees Celsius.

Yellow and Orange alerts issued

The Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for the entire state starting Tuesday. An orange alert has been announced for Kullu, Kinnaur, Chamba, and Lahaul–Spiti districts, where heavy snowfall and rainfall are likely. Other districts may experience thunderstorms and cold day conditions.

Tourists face growing difficulties

Continuous snowfall has left tourists badly stranded across Himachal Pradesh. Long traffic jams have been reported at several locations from Shimla to Manali. Videos circulating on social media show vehicles completely covered in snow. One tourist said their car had been stuck at the same spot for nearly 24 hours, with snow piling up over the vehicle. Many routes are fully snowbound, bringing movement to a complete halt.