Snowfall has been recorded only at Rohtang Pass and Shinkula Pass. Popular hill stations such as Shimla, Manali, Kufri, Narkanda, Dharamshala, Dalhousie and Kasauli remain without snow cover.
Himachal Pradesh continues to see strong tourist footfall this winter even though snowfall has been limited so far. Most visitors arriving during the New Year holiday period are hoping to see snow, but it has so far been confined to a few high-altitude areas in the Lahaul-Spiti region.
Snowfall has been recorded only at Rohtang Pass and Shinkula Pass. Popular hill stations such as Shimla, Manali, Kufri, Narkanda, Dharamshala, Dalhousie and Kasauli remain without snow cover. Despite this, tourist arrivals have increased over the past week.
According to traffic data, more than 54,000 tourist vehicles entered Shimla between December 18 and 24, bringing over 2.5 lakh visitors to nearby destinations including Kufri, Mashobra, Fagu, Narkanda and Naldehra.
Manali also witnessed heavy tourist inflow ahead of Christmas, with nearly one lakh visitors arriving in about 9,500 Volvo buses and other vehicles. Officials expect the numbers to rise further as New Year approaches.
Snow can currently be seen at Rohtang Pass, about 51 km from Manali, which remains open to visitors subject to weather conditions and official permission. Shinkula Pass, located around 130 km from Manali, is also snow-covered but accessible only to four-wheel-drive vehicles due to icy roads.
Weather experts have forecast light snowfall in some higher reaches, with clearer weather expected afterwards. Another mild snowfall spell is likely in the upper areas around December 30 and 31. Temperatures across major tourist spots remain 2 to 4 degrees above normal, offering pleasant conditions for travellers.
