Rain in various parts of Uttarakhand on Thursday disrupted normal life across the state as Chardham shrines—Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrinath—and other high altitudes areas witnessed substantial snowfall, leading to a sharp drop in temperatures. The State Meteorological Centre has predicted rain and snowfall for the next four days, which may cause temperatures to dip further.
Rainfall began in some parts of the state on Wednesday and spread across Uttarakhand on Thursday. Snowfall was recorded in Badrinath, Gangotri, Hemkund Sahib, and Yamunotri hills, along with several other high-altitude areas, increasing the cold in low-lying areas. High-altitude areas, including the Chardham shrine regions, continued to witness snowfall for the second consecutive day. Besides these locations, snowfall that began in the morning continued throughout the day in Rudranath, Valley of Flowers, Gorson, Auli, Nanda Ghunti, Niti, and Mana Valleys.
Heavy snowfall in several parts of the state led to road blockades, prompting the local administration and the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) to take action for snow clearance. Vehicular movement on the route to the renowned skiing destinations Auli and Hanuman Chatti on the Badrinath Highway was badly affected, compelling the BRO to deploy JCBs to remove the snow.
According to the weather forecast bulletin of the State Meteorological Centre in Dehradun, a yellow alert has been issued for snowfall and rain in high altitude areas of Dehradun and large parts of Uttarkashi, Tehri, Rudraprayag, and Chamoli districts.