Shimla:
The cold wave has hit northern India with snow touching the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir Himachal Pradesh, Garhwaal and Kumaon in Uttaranchal. The Jammu Srinagar highway has been closed for the last three days due to heavy snowfall. Hundreds of people are stranded on the highway are out in the open in the bitter winter chill, as bad weather is hampering the road clearing operation.
It even snowed for the first time as far south as Pathankot in Punjab.
The Met Department predicts more snowfall in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir with rainfall in the plains of Punjab.
In the last 24 hours many places have experienced snowfall for the first time like Nurpur in Himachal Pradesh, the higher reaches of Damtal in Punjab that borders Himachal Pradesh Kangra and Dharmasala received snowfall after many years.
There was a new record in Chintpurni in Himachal Pradesh, which witnessed snowfall after 60 years.