Heavy Snowfall Blankets Lahaul Spiti and Kinnaur, Snaps Road Connectivity Across Key Mountain Passes
Heavy snow across Himachal’s high altitude regions disrupts traffic on the Manali-Leh highway, Tabo records season’s lowest temperature at 2.2°C.
Manali, Nov 6 : The higher reaches of Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur districts in Himachal Pradesh witnessed a fresh spell of snowfall, while parts of the mid hills received light rain on Wednesday, disrupting connectivity on key mountain routes, including the Manali-Leh highway between Darcha and Sarchu.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), heavy snowfall was reported in several high mountain passes, including Rohtang Pass, and in parts of the Lahaul-Spiti region such as Kukumseri, Keylong, Darcha, and Sarchu. High altitude areas of Kinnaur, including Chitkul, and the Dhauladhar range in Kangra district also experienced fresh snow.
The fresh spell led to the closure of multiple routes the Manali-Leh highway between Darcha and Sarchu, and the Koksar–Palchan road via Rohtang Pass. Other roads closed in Lahaul-Spiti due to heavy snowfall include Darcha Shinkula, Samdo–Kaza–Gramphu, and Tandi–Killar.
Meanwhile, five tourists stranded in the Chatru area of Lahaul-Spiti were successfully rescued by a team of local police and taken safely to Koksar early Thursday morning.
Tabo, in Lahaul-Spiti, emerged as the coldest spot in the state, recording a minimum temperature of -2.2°C. Among major tourist towns, Shimla recorded 8.4°C, Dharamshala 13.8°C, Manali 6.9°C, and Kufri 6.3°C.
Officials have urged travellers to avoid high altitude routes until the weather stabilises and road clearance operations are completed.
