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Shimla and the adjoining Kufri and Fagu received the season's first snowfall last night, covering fields and roads with a thin white blanket. Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara and Uttarakhand's Uttarkashi, Gangotri and Yamunotri Dham too welcomed the first snow of the season, turning the region into a winter wonderland.
title="Shimla receives seasons first snowfall. " />Shimla receives the season's first snowfall. Location: Kotkhai, Shimla
"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," Ganesh Sud, a resident settled in Shimla since the early 1990s, told news agency IANS.
"For the first time I am witnessing snowfall in early December," his college-going daughter Radhika added.
The frosty trees and mountains offer a perfect photo opportunity for tourists flocking to hill stations amid low temperatures.
title="Himachal Pradesh: Clear blue skies and fresh snow" />Himachal Pradesh: Clear blue skies and fresh snow
Snow Brings Both Joy And Trouble
In Uttarakhand's Chakrata, hoteliers and farmers rejoice in the first snowfall expecting a flock of tourists around Christmas and Near Year, improving business. Farmers too are hoping for better produce.
Kashmir's Gulmarg which witnessed a relatively dry winter last year is beaming with hope of better winter tourism.
"We are hoping for a good amount of snow this year so that tourists can come and enjoy themselves. Last year, there was scant snow even in Gulmarg, which kept the tourists away from the Valley," said Shoaib Ahmad, a travel agent, while speaking to news agency PTI.
Travel agents are beginning to see a surge in queries from tourists.
"Today's snowfall in Gulmarg is surely going to boost tourist arrivals this winter," he added.
However, slippery roads due to snowfall have made it challenging for commuters to drive safely. An advisory has been issued that no vehicle without non-skid chains on its tyres will be allowed to move to Gulmarg from Tangmarg due to fresh snowfall in the area.
Mughal Road connecting Kashmir valley with the Jammu region has been closed for traffic in addition to the Srinagar-Leh and Bandipora-Gurez roads, which are also snowbound.
Intermittent snowfall in the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh's tribal Lahaul and Spiti district continued and intensified cold conditions in the adjoining valleys. As a result, the roads became slippery, affecting traffic and making commuting risky.
Snowfall And Chilly Weather To Continue
There are predictions of rain and moderate snow over Lahaul and Spiti, Chamba, Kinnaur, Kangra, Shimla and Kullu districts. Light rain is predicted in Solan, Sirmaur, Una, Bilaspur, Mandi and the Hamirpur districts till Monday.
The Meteorological Department said that the light rain and snowfall are likely at isolated places over the mid and high hills on Tuesday.
The minimum and maximum temperatures are likely to gradually fall by 3 to 4 degrees over many parts of the state in the next three days.
The Met office has issued a 'yellow' warning for dense fog over some parts of the Bhakra dam reservoir area in Bilaspur and Balh Valley in Mandi till Wednesday.