Heavy snowfall continues in Himachal; traffic disrupted on Manali-Leh highway
What's the story
The Manali-Leh route was closed due to snowfall, and vehicles heading to Ladakh were stopped near Darcha, according to officials. The region has been experiencing moderate to heavy snowfall in the higher reaches and incessant rain in the lower and mid-altitude hills. Snowfall was reported across most parts of Lahaul Spiti, including Sissu, Gondhla, Tandi, Jispa, Darcha, Sarchu, and Koksar.
Travel disruption
Leh highway blocked
The heavy snowfall has blocked the Leh highway between Darcha and Sarchu. Moreover, it has also affected the national highways between Koksar and Lossar, as well as National Highway 3, between Darcha and Shinkula. Tourists and locals alike have been advised to avoid unnecessary travel in the Lahaul Spiti district due to the weather conditions.
Twitter Post
Visuals of highway blanketed by snow
VIDEO | Traffic disrupted on Manali-Leh Highway due to heavy snowfall.
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) October 8, 2025
(Full video available on PTI videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/8QzVG7TMzq
Tourist impact
Other passes also affected
Popular tourist routes such as the Atal Tunnel and Rohtang Pass also witnessed snowfall for the second day. The Sach Pass, which is located at an altitude of around 4,400 meters, has been blocked due to heavy snow. Higher reaches of the Kinnaur and Kullu districts also received fresh snow along with the Dhauladhar range in Kangra.
Weather impact
Rain forces organizers to shift cultural programs indoors
The Shimla Meteorological Centre reported rainfall in most parts of Himachal Pradesh. In Kullu, rain forced organizers to shift evening cultural programs indoors for the ongoing Dussehra festival. Continuous snow and rain have led to a sharp drop in temperatures across the state. Keylong in Lahaul Spiti recorded the lowest minimum temperature at 0.1 degrees Celsius on Monday.
Weather warning
Yellow alert issued for low and mid-hills
A yellow alert has been issued for rainfall in the low and mid-hills and snowfall in the high hills on Tuesday. Maximum temperatures have plunged by up to 15 degrees below normal in many areas. Keylong recorded the lowest maximum temperature at 1.3 degrees Celsius, while Dalhousie recorded a maximum of 8.1 degrees Celsius, Bhuntar 15.7 degrees Celsius, Kalpa 8.5 degrees Celsius, Manali 9.2 degrees Celsius, and Nahan 17.4 degrees Celsius.