Shimla
Although Shimla and its nearby places like Kufri and Narkanda have experienced moderate snowfall on December 8, despite this, the town yet again will not be wrapped with the thick blanket of snow on the eve of Christmas.
The Meteorological Department has predicted clear weather for the entire state on 25th December. There will be no change in the weather and sunshine on Christmas day in Hills Station, Shimla and Manali. However, snow is likely to fall in the high mountain areas of the state on December 23 and 24, the last two days of Christmas.
From 1971 to 1991, Shimla had witnessed nine times snowfall, while in 1989 snowfall was observed for five continuous days during Xmas. However, in 1995 Christmas Day had 10 cm of snow, and in 1991 there was snowfall for two days starting December 25. After this, it snowed again in 2016. But for the last seven years, tourists did not get a chance to enjoy snowfall on the occasion of Christmas, and this time also, no snow on Christmas.
Kuldeep Srivastava, Director of Meteorological Center Shimla, said that due to weak western disturbance from 19 to 22 December and 25 December, there is no possibility of rain and snowfall in the entire state, including Shimla and Manali.
He also pointed out that on 23 and 24 December, snow can hit the mountain areas at some places. But there is no scope for snowfall in tourist places during Christmas in the state. The temperature is falling more at night and will go down even further in the coming days.
He said that the cold wave will increase in the state in the next six days, and people living, especially in the plains and intermediate districts, may have to face a severe cold wave. An orange cold wave has been issued in these areas from 19 to 23 December, and a yellow alert on 24 and 25 December. He said that during the last 24 hours, cold wave conditions prevailed in Mandi, Kangra Bilaspur and Hamirpur districts. During this period, the state’s average minimum mercury remained 1.7 degrees below normal.
According to the Meteorological Department, a drop in mercury has been seen in the last 24 hours. Tabo in Lahaul-Spiti district of the state recorded a minimum night temperature of minus 8.3 degrees Celsius. Kukumseri in Lahaul-Spiti district itself had minus 4.9 °C and Bajuara -0.2 °C. Apart from this, zero degrees were recorded in Bhuntar, 0.1 degrees in Samdho, 0.2 degrees in Siobagh, 0.4 degrees in Kalpa, 1 degree in Una and Sundernagar, 1.4 in Barthin, 1.9 degrees in Manali, 2.1 degrees in Hamirpur and Mandi, 3.3 degrees in Bilaspur, 4 degrees in Kangra, 5.5 degrees in Shimla, 5.8 in Jubbarhatti and 6.4 degrees Celsius in Kufri.
