The winter season has finally stepped foot in Himachal Pradesh. The state witnessed the first snowfall of the season on November 28. A snow wave has gripped the state already and major towns likes Manali, health Shimla, patient and Kullu are expecting snowfall in coming days.
With the mercury dipping below Zero Degree Celsius in the Lahaul Valley, the long and harsh four months of winters have started. The world famous Chandertaal Lake, situated at a height of 4300 meters is already frozen. The Rohtang Pass, Sach Pass, and the Kunjum Pass are already closed and the Lahaul and Spiti Valleys are no longer connected to the rest of the state.
The Neelkanth Lake in the Thirot region of Lahaul-Udaipur is also reported to be frozen. Many people have started migrating to the Kullu region from the Lahaul Valley.
Soon the Rohtang Pass will be completely covered in snow and the Lahaul Valley will be cut from the rest of the world until May 2013, when the pass opens again and the tourist season begins.
On 28th November, snowfall reported at different places of Himachal is listed below in the table:
The major mountain passes used by the shepherds and trekkers have been closed now because of heavy snowfall on the upper reaches of the Himalayas. Kugti, Chobiya, and Kali Cho Pass, connecting the Lahaul Valley to the Chamba region are reported to be close and that marks the start of another long and harsh winter in Himachal Pradesh.