Dehradun, Jan 23 (PTI) After a long wait, the weather changed in Uttarakhand on Friday, as the first snowfall of the year covered almost all the high-altitude areas of the state with a thick blanket of snow.
According to officials, continuous rain since morning in most of the lower areas and plains of the state, including the capital Dehradun, has brought back the biting cold.
Significant snowfall occurred at various places in both the Garhwal and Kumaon divisions of Uttarakhand. Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Auli, Mussoorie, Chakrata, Dhanaulti and Munsiyari — all of these places received snow. Nainital city also experienced hailstorms along with rain.
Schools up to class 12 have been closed in Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Chamoli, Uttarkashi and Pithoragarh districts following the change in weather.
However, the snowfall brought smiles to the faces of locals, business owners and tourists alike. People also started posting videos of the snowfall on social media, showing roads, trees and houses all covered in a white blanket. Some videos also showed tourists enjoying the snowfall on Mall Road and other places in Mussoorie.
The faces of farmers, apple growers and horticulturists, who had been eagerly waiting for rain and snowfall for a long time, also lit up.
The continuous snowfall and rain in the state also affected normal life in many places, with traffic movement and power supply getting disrupted at many places.
The Joshimath-Auli road leading to the National Skiing Centre in Auli in Chamoli district and the Rudraprayag-Pokhri-Gopeshwar road have been closed to traffic due to accumulated snow. Officials said that the snow is being cleared from the roads to restore traffic.
The Chamoli district administration has requested the general public to avoid unnecessary travel during this period and to follow the instructions issued by the administration.
In Uttarkashi district, due to snowfall in Barkot, Purola and Mori, power lines near Raditop were damaged, causing a power outage. Efforts are underway to restore power. However, the entire Yamuna Valley remained without electricity until late evening.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an orange alert for snowfall in the higher reaches of the state and rain in the lower areas. Strong winds and hailstorms are also expected in some places.
In most places, the daytime temperature dropped compared to Thursday, and the mercury fell below normal.
According to the IMD, the maximum temperature in Dehradun dropped to 14 degrees Celsius on Friday, which was 12 degrees lower than on Thursday. Similarly, the maximum temperature in Mussoorie decreased by 11.5 degrees and in Mukteshwar by eight degrees compared to Thursday. PTI DPT AMJ AMJ
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