Shimla:
High alert has been sounded in tribal areas of Kinnaur, Lahaul Spiti and Pangi as avalanche threat heightened due to heavy snowfall in the past four days while intense cold wave gripped the region in spite of clear weather on Thursday.
People have been advised not to venture out due to avalanche threat as local MeT office has predicted that due to improved weather condition and clear sky, possibility of occurrence of avalanche has increased.
Though two to three avalanches had occurred in Spiti area and Udaipur sub-division of Lahaul on Thursday, but no loss of life and property had been reported.
The minimum temperature dipped by few notches and hovered around freezing point at several places including Shimla.
The minimum temperature dropped to minus 3.6 degreerees C at Manali and Saluni while Solan and Shimla shivered at minus 0.6 degree C and Sundernagar and Palampur recorded a low of 0.7 degree and 1.7 degree, followed by Bhuntar 2.5 degree, Nahan and Dharamsala 3.7 degree and Una 4.3 degree C.
Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti recorded a low of minus 9.4 degree, a drop of seven degreerees while high altitude tribal areas reeled under arctic conditions with mercury staying between minus 13 and minus 23 degree C.
Shimla and Manali recorded 15 cm of fresh snow while Theog and Keylong experienced 10 cm and 7 cm of snow. Lower hills experienced moderate rains with Rampur and Gohar receiving 37 mm rains, followed by Karsog 20 mm, Banjar 23 mm, Kumsarsein 22 mm, Bhuntar and Bajaura 20 mm.
However, the day temperatures rose appreciably and Una was hottest in the region with a high of 21.8 degreerees C, a rise of three degree while Dharamsala recorded maximum temperature at 20.4 degree against 13.2 degree on Wednesday, followed by Sundernagar 18.5 degree, Nahan 16.1 degree, Solan 15.7 degree, Bhuntar 15 degree and Shimla 11.2 degree C.
Normal life remained paralysed in tribal areas and other higher hills as vehicular traffic and water and power supply remained disrupted dur to snowfall.
Upper areas of Shimla, Kullu and Chamba districts also remained cut off from rest of the state.
"Relief and restoration works are in full swing and efforts are being made to open the road and restore water and power supply in Kinnaur district, which has been declared as calamity-affected district by the government," an official spokesman said.
Besides Hindustan-Tibet and Kiratpur Manali national highways which were blocked beyond Dhalli and Patlikul, over 150 other highways and link roads were blocked due to heavy snowfall and traffic to Rampur and Jeory was being routed via Basantpur and Kingal.