Cold conditions aggravated in Himachal Pradesh and several areas were cut off as tribal areas and other high mountain ranges experienced moderate to heavy snowfall while mid and lower hills received widespread heavy rains.
Rohtang Pass and Jalori pass were closed due to fresh heavy snowfall and lahaul, Udaipur, Pangi and Bharmaur tribal valleys were cut-off from rest of the state while the Rampur- Ani-Kullu road was blocked due to closure of Jalori Pass.
Key tourist resorts of Dalhousie, Manali, Narkanda and Sarahan received moderate snowfall, Shimla and its surrounding resorts of Mashobra, Wildflower Hall and Kufri were lashed by heavy intermittent rains, punctuated by sleet and hail, causing a sharp fall in mercury.
The sprawling Dhauladhar ranges in Kangra, Churdhar ranges in Sirmaur, Chansel, Saach, Kunzam and other high mountain passes experienced another spell of heavy snowfall while adjoining lower ranges received moderate snowfall.
Manali received 15 cm of snow even as Keylong, Solang, Mari and Rohtang Pass recorded 45 cm, 40 cm, 60 cm and 110 cm of snow respectively. Dalhousie and upper areas of Chamba and Dharamshala and Khara-Patthar received 15 cm of snow.
Icy winds swept the region causing a sharp fall in day temperatures and Kalpa and Shimla recorded a high of 2.2 degrees Celsius and 6.6 degrees, followed by Bhuntar 9.8 degrees, Sundernagar 10.8 degrees, Solan 11 degrees, Nahan 13.6 degrees, Dharamsala 14.2 degrees and Una 18.2 degrees, a drop of five to eight degrees.
In Chandigarh and surrounding areas, light showers broke the dry winter spell leading to sharp decline in temperature levels on Friday.
The skies remained overcast across the region. Besides Chandigarh, adjoining towns of Panchkula in Haryana and Mohali in Punjab also experienced some rain.
Elsewhere in Punjab and Haryana, overcast and misty conditions prevailed on Friday. At some places like Hisar in Haryana, fog reduced visibility to about 150 metres. In ludhiana, the visibility was 350 metres.
Following light rainfall, the maximum temperature dropped upto five notches below normal in various parts of the region.
Chandigarh recorded maximum temperature at 18.5 degree Celsius, four degrees below normal while minimum temperature settled at 14.5 degrees.