Shimla, Dec 30 (IANS) The hills of Himachal Pradesh may experience rain and snowfall on the first day of 2012, a weather official said here Friday.

‘There are chances of rain and snow at some places in the state on the first day of the new year,’ meteorological office director Manmohan Singh told IANS.

He said the western disturbances are likely to be active for two days from Sunday.

On Friday, an intense cold wave saw most parts of the state shivering with popular tourist resort Manali at a biting minus 2 degrees Celsius.

The night temperature in Keylong, the headquarters of Lahaul and Spiti, was minus 7.5 degrees. Kalpa in Kinnaur district recorded a low of minus 3 degrees while the temperature was minus 0.6 degree in Solan town and 4.2 degrees in Dharamsala.

Shimla recorded a minimum of 4.4 degrees.