Shimla, Dec 28 (IANS) The hills of Himachal Pradesh might experience rains and snowfall in the next three days, a weather official said here Tuesday.
‘There are chances of heavy rainfall and snowfall at some places in the state from Dec 29 to Dec 31,’ meteorological office director Manmohan Singh told IANS.
He said the western disturbances – storm systems originating from Caspian Sea and moving across the Afghanistan-Pakistan region – are likely to be active by New Year’s Eve.
Most of the prominent tourist towns like Shimla, Narkanda, Kufri, Kalpa, Dalhousie and Manali are likely to have light to moderate spells of snowfall, he said.
The Met department’s forecast has brought cheer to the state’s hospitality industry and the hope that Shimla will witness a white New Year’s Eve after eight years.
Shimla, known for the imperial grandeur of buildings that were once institutions of power when it was the summer capital of British India, has remained devoid of any prominent snow cover in recent times. This year too, there has been hardly any snowfall so far.
Besides one mild spell of snow (8.2 cm) Jan 13 this year, there was no snow at all in the Himachal Pradesh capital last winter.
Likewise, in 2009 the town saw just two mild spells of snowfall and those flakes too melted within a few hours.
Shimla experienced snowfall on the last day of the year in 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2002.
‘Snow is the biggest driving force for the tourists,’ said Vijay Sharma, assistant general manager of Holiday Home Hotel, a government-run venture.
Manali, the popular tourist resort in Kullu valley, about 250 km from Shimla, experienced its first spell of snow Oct 22.
The Rohtang Pass (13,050 feet) located 51 km from Manali and Baralacha Pass (16,020 ft) have already experienced heavy snowfall.
Paramvir Singh Bains, a Chandigarh resident planning to visit the hills to ring in the New Year, told IANS on phone: ‘We plan to visit Shimla with the hope to enjoy the snow. Last year, we had to return home without enjoying the snow-scape.’
