The season’s first spell of snow hit Shimla on Tuesday, 23 January, bringing cheers on the faces of locals as well as tourists.

Besides Shimla, Kufri and Narkanda also witnessed snowfall, thus bringing respite from the prolonged dry spell – a first in 10 years.

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The Meteorological Department says that it will snow in the mid hills and high hills for the next 24 hours which will be followed by another dry spell for a week. There are no chances of snow or rain till 29 January.

The snowfall has brought cheers to the apple cultivators and the hotel industry as well.

The hotel industry is looking forward to the rush of tourists to Shimla and other destinations in Himachal Pradesh because of the snow.

According to the data available with the Meteorological Department, Shimla witnessed a delay in snowfall this season. Data reveals that Shimla has been receiving its first spell of snow during the month of November for the last five years. But this season there has been a delay of almost two months.

The lowest temperature of -3.4 degree Celsius was recorded at Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti followed by -2 degree Celsius in Kalpa in Kinnaur district and -0.6 in Manali in Kullu district. The highest temperature, 23.4 degree Celsius, was recorded at Berthinin in Bilaspur district.

Snowfall coupled with rain brought the maximum temperatures down across the state.

The maximum temperature dipped to 12.2 degree Celsius in Shimla on Tuesday. It was 18 degree Celsius on Monday.

Other tourist destinations in the state also witnessed a dip in maximum temperatures. While Dharamsala recorded a maximum temperature of 11.4, Dalhousie, Kullu and Kalpa recorded 4.9, 14, and 10.6 degree Celsius, respectively.

Manmohan Singh, the director of the Meteorological Department of Shimla, said, “With a fresh Western Disturbance on January 23, scattered rain and snowfall are likely to continue across the state till Wednesday, 24 January, after which there will be another dry spell for a week.”

“Chances are high for snowfall in Shimla in February and March,” he said.

A study of the snowfall pattern over the last 15 years shows not only a delay but also the shortening of the days of snowfall.

Singh confirmed that the linear trend of snowfall days in Shimla has shown a compression, with not only a decrease in snowfall but also the number of days.