Himachal Shivers as Average Temperature Drops to 11.5°C

People use umbrellas to shield themselves from rain on Shimla’s Ridge on Monday.

Himachal Pradesh is reeling under an intense cold wave after widespread rain and snowfall since Sunday brought temperatures down by 10°C to 17°C below normal across the state.

In Chamba, the maximum temperature was 17.8°C below normal, while Dalhousie and Manali recorded temperatures 14.9°C and 14.2°C below normal, respectively. On average, the maximum temperature across the state was 11.5°C below the seasonal norm, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The IMD attributed the sharp weather shift to an “extremely active western disturbance,” which is expected to persist until late Tuesday evening. The department said the system peaked on Monday and is likely to weaken by Tuesday, though a yellow alert for light to moderate rain remains in effect for most places. The weather is expected to clear from October 8 onward.

Fresh snowfall was reported from several parts of Lahaul-Spiti district, including Gondla (5 cm), Hansa (5 cm), and Keylong (4 cm). According to the IMD, this is the earliest October snowfall in Keylong since 2008.

“This is the first time Keylong has witnessed snowfall in the first week of October. Until now, the earliest recorded snowfall was on October 11,” an IMD official said.