Himachal Pradesh receives fresh snowfall; more likely during next 48 hours: IMD

Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], January 12 : The hill state of Himachal Pradesh has received fresh snowfall during the past 24 hours, and the higher mountain regions have received moderate snowfall and rainfall, said India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials on Thursday.
The India Meteorological Department forecasted snowfall in higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh during the next two days. The IMD has forecasted moderate snowfall during the next two days in the Kinnaur, Chamba, Lahaul -Spiti, Shimla and Kullu districts of the state.
As per IMD after January 14, the weather is expected to remain dry, while a coldwave alert in the lower districts of Hamirpur, Bilaspur, Una and Mandi has been sounded in the region.
"The higher reaches in Himachal Pradesh during the past 24 hours received fresh snowfall. Kothi in Kullu district received 15CM snowfall, Hansa in Lahaul-Spiti recorded 9CM fresh snowfall and higher reaches of Shimla district recorded 5 of a fresh snowfall," said IMD Senior Scientist HP Sandeep Kumar Sharma.
He further added that during the next 48 hours, the higher reaches in Kinnaur, Chamba, Lahaul-Spiti, Kullu and Shimla districts are expected to get light to moderate snowfall.
"The lower parts of the state have received rainfall. The temperature during 24 hours has also fallen by 3 degree Celsius in the state. After January 14 the weather is expected to remain dry and a cold wave alert has also been sounded for Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur and other lower areas of the state," said Senior Scientist Sandeep Kumar Sharma, IMD HP.
Earlier in the day, mesmerising images emerged from Himachal Pradesh's Narkanda as the area received heavy snowfall overnight and on Thursday morning.
Trees and hills were covered in snow and the minimum temperature was recorded at a bone-chilling 1 degree Celsius.
According to a Met forecast, Narkanda is likely to receive light rainfall on January 13 and the mercury might drop to as low as -3 degrees Celsius.
North India is headed for another severe cold spell from January 14-19, a Met expert predicted on Thursday.
The Gangotri Dham of Uttarakhand was shrouded in white after heavy snowfall on Wednesday late at night.
Even as the popular pilgrimage site, covered in snow, made for a pretty picture, the fresh burst of snow brought with it a biting chill sweeping the lower reaches of the Dham.
The snowfall and the chill dragged the mercury down further to -3 degrees Celsius.
The Met department said the temperature is likely to drop to as low as -9 degrees Celsius in a fresh spell of severe cold that is likely to grip the northern plains over the weekend and over the next week.
Already in the grip of a severe cold spell, there's more bad news in the offing for North India as vast swathes of the region are likely to experience a drop in temperatures to a minimum of -4 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 2 degrees Celsius in the plains, according to a weather expert.
According to a tweet by the weather expert, the icy, severe chill would be experienced between January 14 and 19 and is likely to peak from January 16 to 18.