Heavy snowfall in Himachal Pradesh leaves tourists stranded
Himachal Pradesh got hit by heavy snowfall on Saturday, causing a 15km-long traffic jam near Manali and leaving thousands of tourists from nearby states stuck.
Many people ditched their cars and walked over five kilometers through snow just to get moving, as vehicles kept skidding and blocking the roads.
Why does this matter?
The IMD reported serious snowfall—Manali got nearly half a meter, while Kothi saw over a meter.
With temperatures dropping up to 12°C below normal and wind gusts hitting 81km/h in some spots, it's been freezing out there.
Over 600 roads are blocked statewide, and authorities have warned against travel but travel is still risky.
Officials are urging everyone to stay put unless it's absolutely necessary.
What's next?
Another round of rain and snow is expected around January 27 thanks to a new western disturbance—but things should warm up again by the end of the month.
On the bright side, recent rain has been a relief for farmers after more than three months of dry weather.