Avalanche threat loomed over Lahaul and Kinnaur areas of north Indian state Himachal Pradesh Saturday as most parts of the state reeled under piercing cold wave conditions after fresh snowfall. Several localities in Shimla and other places went without water this morning as water in pipes froze and movement of vehicles in many areas of the state was hit by thick ground frost and snow, leading to traffic snarls, PTI reported. Heavy snowfall in tribal areas and other mountain ranges brought normal life to a halt and people were forced to stay indoors. Vehicular traffic was hit by thick ground frost and snow made the roads slippery. Thousands of tourists, who had rushed to adjoining tourist resort of Kufri to enjoy the snow there, were put to great inconvenience due to frequent and long traffic snarls. Hundreds of vehicles queued up on the roads and in Shimla town people faced tough time due to traffic jam. Most parts of the state, however, received bright sunshine Saturday after a long run of murky weather. Manali-Leh road was blocked by heavy snow while Hindustan Tibet National Highway was opened upto Matiana and Public Works Department men struggled to clear the snow at Narkanda. Meanwhile, vehicular traffic to Rampur was being routed via Basantpur an Kingal. Lahaul, Darcha, Dhundhi, Koksar and other high altitude tribal areas were covered under a thick blanket of 150 cm to 200 cm of snow while Rohtang Pass had a 200 cm thick cover of snow. The night temperatures dropped by three to five degrees in mid and higher hills while day temperatures stayed four to six degree below normal.
