Fresh snowfall across the western Himalayan region disrupted daily life on Friday, blocking roads, halting flights and prompting authorities to issue travel advisories in parts of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.
The weather shift comes after weeks of dry conditions and has affected road connectivity, air travel and visibility across high-altitude districts.
Lahaul-Spiti cut off as snow and black ice force road closures
Moderate to heavy snowfall continued overnight in Himachal Pradesh’s Lahaul-Spiti district, leading to the closure of several key routes.
Officials said snow accumulation and black ice made travel unsafe, forcing authorities to block traffic towards the Atal Tunnel as a precaution.
Roads linking Koksar to Rohtang Pass, Darcha to Sarchu, Gramphu–Batal and stretches towards Shinkula were closed. Limited movement was allowed only where conditions briefly improved.
Higher areas, including Keylong, Udaipur and Kaza, remained under steady snowfall through the morning. Visibility stayed poor.
The India Meteorological Department issued an orange alert for the region, warning of heavy snowfall and strong winds at isolated places. The district administration advised residents and tourists to avoid travel towards heavy snowline areas.
“Vehicles may get stranded due to deep snow and black ice on roads,” officials said, urging people to postpone non-essential journeys.
Snow reaches Shimla, Manali; highways and flights affected in J&K
Shimla and Manali recorded their first snowfall of the season on Friday, ending a prolonged dry spell and drawing tourists to the hill towns.
“Shimla and its nearby areas have been experiencing snowfall since morning, and this is the season’s first snowfall in Shimla town,” a Meteorological Department official told IANS.
Nearby tourist spots such as Kufri and Narkanda also saw snowfall, while Manali received steady snow through the day.
“We are thankful to god for this white spell,” said Nidhi Gupta, a tourist from Punjab’s Ludhiana, who was visiting Shimla with friends.
In Jammu and Kashmir, snowfall and rain led to the closure of the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44). Traffic was halted at multiple points, including Jakhani Chowk in Udhampur, due to slippery conditions.
Air travel was also hit. Srinagar Airport confirmed that several flights were cancelled, while IndiGo Airlines temporarily suspended operations.
“Due to snowfall in Srinagar, flight operations, both take-offs and landings, have been temporarily put on hold,” IndiGo said in a post on X, advising passengers to check flight status and rebooking options.
Weather officials said a western disturbance remains active and could bring more rain and snow until Sunday, followed by a sharp drop in temperatures across the region.