Manali wrapped up in white blanket again

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh`s popular tourist resort Manali and its nearby places on Thursday got another spell of snowfall, giving them a picturesque look.

This was the season`s second snowfall that froze Manali.

According to the Met Office here, Manali recorded more than 10 cm of snow.

"High altitude areas of Lahaul and Spiti, Chamba, Mandi, Kullu, Kinnaur, Sirmaur and Shimla districts have been experiencing moderate snow," a Met official told IANS.

Kalpa in Kinnaur district, which recorded a low of minus two degrees Celsius, also saw mild snow, while the temperature was minus 0.6 degrees Celsius in Manali.

Dharamsala registered 6 degrees Celsius, while the state capital, which saw cloudy conditions, recorded a low of 2 degrees Celsius.

Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district, which also saw snow, was the coldest place in the state with a low of 5.5 degrees Celsius below the freezing point.

The day temperature of Shimla plummeted to 9.5 degrees Celsius from Wednesday`s 14.2 degrees.

The Rohtang Pass, located at an altitude of 13,050 feet and 52 km from Manali, has accumulated a fair amount of snow.

As news of the snowfall flashed across the plains, tourists started arriving at Manali and its nearby hills.

The Met official said the weather would remain dry from Friday as the western disturbances would recede from the region.