Shimla, Dec 29 (PTI) Popular tourist spots Kufri, Manali and Narkanda in Himachal Pradesh received snowfall on Thursday, bringing cheers to tourists who have thronged these places to ring in the New Year.
Keylong and Hansa in tribal Lahaul and Spiti received 2 and 1 cm of snow respectively. Kufri on the outskirts of Shimla received 0.5 cm of slow, while Manali reported traces of snow.
The sky remained heavily overcast and high velocity icy winds lashed the region making people shiver even in heavy woolens.
The local MeT office has predicted rains at isolated places in low and mid hills and snow at many places in higher reaches of Chamba, Kullu, Kinnaur and Lahaul and Spiti districts on Friday and dry weather on New Year eve on December 31.
The sprawling Dhauladhar ranges in Kangra, Churdhar ranges in Sirmaur, Rohtang, Kunzam, Chansel passes and Darcha experienced moderate snowfall, intensifying the intense cold wave in adjoining valleys.
Drizzle was witnessed in Shimla.
Tourists are making a beeline to Shimla and other tourist spots and roads are choked with vehicles, causing traffic jams. The district administration has made heavy police deployment to regulate traffic but the inflow of vehicles is posing a grave challenge. President of the Tourism Industry Stakeholders Association M K Seth said the occupancy in hotels was about 60 per cent on Thursday and the tourism industry was hopeful that the snowfall would increase footfall on New Year.
Keylong and Kukumseri were the coldest at night recording a low of minus 4.8 degrees Celsius, followed by Kalpa minus 2.1 degrees. Tourist resorts of Manali, Narkanda and Kufri registered a minimum temperature of 1 degree, 1.4 and 3.2 degrees Celsius respectively. PTI BPL SMN SMN
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