Weather Clears in Himachal Pradesh, But Avalanche Danger Persists

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): After rain and snowfall in Himachal Pradesh, the weather cleared on Wednesday, but challenges continue in the tribal areas, with the threat of avalanches still present. Early Wednesday morning, an avalanche occurred near the Muling bridge on the Manali-Keylong road. Following the incident, the Border Roads Organization (BRO) mobilized machinery to clear the debris.

Meanwhile, the Atal Tunnel route from Manali has been opened for one-way vehicular movement. Vehicles will be allowed from Manali to the North Portal of the Atal Tunnel between 10:00 am and 1:00 pm, while traffic will be permitted from the Atal Tunnel to Manali from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, as confirmed by DSP Keylong, Rajkumar.

The Meteorological Center in Shimla has forecast dry weather in the state from March 5 to 8. However, a new western disturbance is expected to impact the western Himalayan region starting March 9. Light rain and snowfall are predicted at isolated places in the high-altitude areas of Chamba, Kangra, Kullu districts, including Lahaul-Spiti and Kinnaur. The weather department has also indicated light to moderate rain and snowfall across the state on March 10 and 11. The minimum temperature is expected to drop by 2-3 degrees Celsius in the next 24 hours, followed by no major change for the next 3-4 days. On the other hand, the maximum temperature is forecast to rise by 4-6 degrees Celsius by March 8. Today, isolated areas in the plains, low hills, and central regions experienced a cold wave, while light to moderate fog was observed in Mandi and Bilaspur districts in the morning.

The minimum temperatures recorded across various locations in Himachal Pradesh were as follows: Shimla 4.6°C, Sundernagar 4.9°C, Bhuntar 2.2°C, Kalpa -4.9°C, Dharamsala 4.5°C, Una 4.0°C, Nahan 12.3°C, Keylong -11.0°C, Palampur 3.0°C, Solan 3.9°C, Manali -0.9°C, Kangra 4.7°C, Mandi 6.2°C, Bilaspur 5.7°C, Chamba 4.4°C, Dalhousie 1.2°C, Kukumseri -12.5°C, Bharmour -0.1°C, Seubagh 0.8°C, Dhaula Kuan 7.4°C, Barthin 5.0°C, Sarahan 0.5°C, Tabo -10.2°C, and Dehra Gopipur 9.0°C.

Over the past 24 hours, light to moderate rain and snowfall were recorded at various places in the state. Nahan received 16.8 mm of rainfall, Dalhousie 7.0 mm, Jaiton Barrage 5.0 mm, Kasauli 4.0 mm, Kandaghat 2.8 mm, Palampur and Bharmour 2.0 mm each, Kahu 1.8 mm, Raipur Maidan 1.4 mm, Pachhad 1.1 mm, Paonta Sahib 1.0 mm, Salapad 0.6 mm, and Shimla recorded 0.3 mm of rainfall. Khadrala received 7.0 mm of rain, while Kukumseri saw 1.5 cm of snowfall.