Picturesque tourist destinations of Himachal Pradesh such as Lahaul-Spiti and Narkanda were wrapped in a blanket of snow on Thursday. The regions are covered under thick ice due to the Western Disturbance, currently prevailing over Afghanistan and adjoining areas. Even in high altitude areas of the Chamoli districts, life has come to a standstill as most of the areas receiving fresh snowfall in the past two days forcing state authorities to shut down the schools. All the schools, both government and private are closed for the day today due to the chilly winds, by the orders of the district administration. The trees and shrub in these regions were frozen and were sparkling in white colour due to the ice settled on the leaves. Even the roofs of the houses were covered with the snow only allowing the locals to peep out of their windows and enjoy the view. However, in Shimla, which is the popular tourist destination, the temperatures would oscillate around 4 degrees Celsius and 12 degrees Celsius today, predicted India Meteorological Department (IMD). The region may also receive rains and witness thunderstorms today. A yellow weather warning was also issued last week for heavy rain and snowfall in eight districts — Chamba, Kangra, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla, Solan, Kinnaur, and Lahaul-Spiti. The IMD issues color-coded warnings to alert the public ahead of severe or hazardous weather, with ‘yellow’ indicating least danger.
