Season's first heavy snowfall in Kashmir brings cheer, Ashwini Vaishnaw shares stunning video

Although many roads were shut due to the heavy snowfall, residents and tourists were seen happy playing on the white carpet. Moderate to heavy snowfall also continued in high hills and tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh, while the state capital received the first snowfall of the season bringing cheer to residents, tourists and farmers.

Tourists return to Kashmir as fresh snowfall ends two-month dry spell

Shimla was wrapped in a thin blanket of snow on Thursday. Braving the cold, tourists and residents thronged to Mall Road and Ridge in the heart of the city to enjoy the snowfall. Over 240 roads, including six national highways, in the state have been closed for vehicular traffic, PTI reported.

Vehicular traffic in the upper Shimla area beyond Dhalli came to a standstill as the roads got blocked due to heavy snow in Kufri, Fagu and Narkanda.

Orchardists in the valley also welcomed the snow, expressing gratitude for the beneficial impact on farming and horticulture. The temperature in Dehradun is expected to plummet by 4-5 degrees Celsius due to the continuing snowfall and rain, the MeT said. The recent change in weather has ended a prolonged dry spell which was posing a threat to the apple crops in the upper Himalayan region.