Shimla, Dec 23 (IANS) The Himachal Pradesh capital and its nearby tourist resorts on Monday experienced mild spells of snow, bringing cheers among members of the hospitality industry with the sublime promise of a White Christmas, which has been elusive since 2016 when heavy snowfall occurred on Christmas Eve.

“Shimla and its nearby areas have been experiencing light snowfall and this was the season’s second snowfall in Shimla town,” an official of the Meteorological Department here told .

Places near Shimla like Kufri and Narkanda have also been experiencing snowfall, turning the tourist destinations more picturesque.

Though the snowfall was light, it has warmed up the Yuletide spirit of the hospitality industry. There is the expectation of more spells before the New Year dawns as the MeT Office forecasts scattered rain or snow in the state till Tuesday.

After the opening of the skies, the minimum temperature across the state could plummet by three to four notches, a weatherman said.

The mountain peaks viewed from Shimla's historic Ridge and Dharamsala and Palampur towns have been wrapped in a blanket of snow.

As news of the snowfall spreads, tourists may flock to Shimla, known for the imperial grandeur of its buildings that were once institutions of power when the town served as the summer capital of British India.

Reports said some of the areas in the apple belt Jubbal and Kharapathar also experienced snow.

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

The majestic Dhauladhar ranges in the Kangra Valley have also got snow cover. Lower areas of the state like Dharamsala, Palampur, Solan, Nahan, Bilaspur, Una, Hamirpur and Mandi towns received rain, bringing down the temperature considerably.

Shimla saw a low of 3.4 degrees Celsius, while it was 1.8 degrees in Manali, 4.5 degrees in Dharamsala and 1.5 degrees in Palampur. The past week was largely sunny across the state.

Before 2016, the erstwhile capital of British India saw Christmas snows in 1991 when 49 cm of snowfall was recorded. Though some years between 2014 and 2018 had mild spells before the Yuletide spirit.

Also except in 2010, there has been no white New Year's Eve in Shimla either in the past 12 years.

Deforestation and pollution are blamed for the change in Shimla's climatic conditions, says a study by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

It says Shimla's harsh winter, which normally commenced in November and ended in March, has declined after the mid-1980s. The study examines the snowfall trend in Shimla from 1990 to 2007.

Courtesy Media Group: IANS

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