Dehradun, Jan 23 (PTI) After a long wait, the weather changed in Uttarakhand on Friday, and the first snowfall of the year covered almost all the high-altitude areas of the state with a thick blanket of snow, officials said.
According to officials, continuous rain since morning in most of the lower areas and plains of the state, including the capital Dehradun, has brought back the biting cold.
Heavy snowfall occurred at various places in both Garhwal and Kumaon divisions of Uttarakhand, such as Badrinath, Kedarnath, Gangotri, Yamunotri, Auli, Mussoorie, Chakrata, Dhanaulti, and Munsiyari, while high-altitude areas like China Peak and Kilbury in Nainital, Dunagiri in Almora, and Tarkeshwar in Pauri were also covered with a blanket of snow.
Nainital city also experienced hailstorms along with rain.
The snowfall brought smiles to the faces of locals, business owners, and tourists alike. People also started posting videos of the snowfall on social media, showing roads, trees, and houses all covered in a white blanket. The videos showed tourists enjoying the snowfall on Mall Road and other places in Mussoorie.
However, the continuous snowfall and rain in the state have also affected normal life in many places, where roads have been blocked for traffic and power supply has been disrupted.
The Joshimath-Auli road leading to the National Skiing Centre in Auli in the Chamoli district and the Rudraprayag-Pokhri-Gopeshwar road have been closed to traffic due to accumulated snow.
Officials said that the snow is being cleared from the roads to restore traffic. The Chamoli district administration has requested the general public to avoid unnecessary travel during this period and follow the instructions issued by the administration.
In the Uttarkashi district, due to snowfall in Barkot, Purola, and Mori, power lines near Raditop were damaged, causing a power outage.
The Meteorological Department has issued an ‘orange alert’ for snowfall in the higher reaches of the state and rain in the lower areas. Strong winds and hailstorms are also expected in some places.
The snowfall and rains have brought back biting cold, and people stayed indoors. In most places, the daytime temperature dropped compared to Thursday, and the mercury fell below normal.
According to the Meteorological Department, the maximum temperature in Dehradun dropped to 14 degrees Celsius on Friday, which is 12 degrees Celsius lower than that on Thursday. Similarly, the maximum temperature in Mussoorie decreased by 11.5 degrees Celsius and in Mukteshwar by eight degrees Celsius compared to Thursday.
Meanwhile, in view of the snowfall and cold wave conditions, schools up to class 12 have been closed in Dehradun, Tehri, Pauri, Chamoli, Uttarkashi, and Pithoragarh districts.