Shimla and Nearby Tourist Spots Witness Season's First Snowfall, Boosting Tourism Prospects

SHIMLA: For the first time in many decades, the capital of Himachal Pradesh and its nearby tourist resorts saw the season's first snowfall on Sunday evening, in early December, prompting the hospitality industry to anticipate a surge in tourist arrivals.

An official from the Meteorological Department here told IANS, "Shimla and its nearby areas have experienced light snowfall, marking the season's first snowfall in Shimla town."

Tourist destinations near Shimla, such as Kufri and Narkanda, have also been receiving snowfall, enhancing their scenic beauty.

As news of the snowfall spreads, tourists are likely to flock to Shimla, renowned for the imperial grandeur of its buildings, which once served as institutions of power when the town was the summer capital of British India.

Ganesh Sud, a resident who has been settled in Shimla since the early 1990s, said, "It's for the first time that we witnessed the snowfall in early December. As far as my memory goes, this is the season's first snowfall in over two decades."

His college-going daughter, Radhika, added, "For the first time I am witnessing snowfall in early December."

An official from the Met Office said the snowy landscape in Shimla would last only a few hours due to the high minimum temperature. Reports also indicated that some areas in the apple belt, such as Jubbal and Kharapathar, experienced snow.

The official said, "High-altitude areas of Lahaul-Spiti, Chamba, Kullu, Kinnaur, and Shimla districts have been experiencing snow."

The majestic Dhauladhar ranges in the Kangra Valley received a snow cover, and Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti districts also experienced snowfall. Lower areas of the state, including Dharamsala, Palampur, Solan, Nahan, Bilaspur, Una, Hamirpur, and Mandi, saw rain, significantly lowering the temperature. The Met Office has forecast scattered rain or snow across the state until Monday. According to a weatherman, after the skies clear, the minimum temperature across the state could drop by three to four degrees.

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