Manali wrapped up in white blanket again

Shimla, Feb 2 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh's leading tourist resort Manali and its neighbouring areas Monday got more snow, giving them a more picturesque look.

The minimum temperature recorded at Manali was 1 degree Celsius, the weather office here said.

"Manali and the hills overlooking it experienced mild to moderate spells of snow," an official of the meteorological office told IANS.

The hills overlooking Manali got more than 25 cm snow, while Udaipur in Lahaul-Spiti district got 20 cm snow.

Picturesque Kalpa, some 250 km from Shimla, also experienced snow.

"High-altitude areas of Lahaul and Spiti, Chamba, Mandi, Kullu, Kinnaur and Shimla districts have been experiencing snow since Monday morning," the official said.

Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district was the coldest place in the state with a low of minus 7.5 degrees Celsius, while it was minus 7.4 degrees in Kalpa, 4.4 degrees in Dharamsala and 4 degrees in Shimla.

As news of the snowfall flashed across the plains, tourists started arriving at Manali and the nearby hills.

The weatherman said the snow and rain would continue in the region Tuesday.