Shimla: The weather remained dry and cold in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday as Manali, Sundernagar, Bhuntar, Keylong and Kalpa shivered at sub-zero temperatures with the weatherman predicting heavy rain and snowfall in the next two-three days.
The coldest place in the state was Lahaul-Spiti's administrative centre Keylong which settled at minus 13.8 degrees Celsius, Shimla MeT Centre Director Manmohan Singh said.
The meteorological department has forecast heavy rain and snowfall in the state between December 19-21.
The minimum temperature in Kalpa in Kinnaur district was minus 4.6 degrees Celsius, followed by Manali in Kullu district at minus 2.8 degrees, Sundernagar in Mandi district at minus 0.5 degrees and Bhuntar in Mandi district at minus 0.4 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, the winter capital of Jammu and Kashmir woke up to a chilly Wednesday as the night temperature plummeted by over two notches, settling at season's low of 4.8 degrees Celsius, the meteorological department said.
Jammu's minimum temperature was 4.1 degrees below normal for this time of the year and the city witnessed moderate fog in the morning as the sun remained behind cloud cover for the second consecutive day.
The mercury is on downward spiral across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh over the past couple of days following heavy snowfall in the high altitude areas and Kashmir last week.
Srinagar is reeling under a low of minus 3.7 degrees Celsius -- 2.2 degrees below the season's average. The famous ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir was the coldest recorded place in the Valley with a low of minus 11.5 degrees Celsius, an official said.
The national capital recorded the coldest day of the season, with the minimum temperature settling at 7 degrees Celsius, a notch below the normal. The maximum was recorded at 18 degrees Celsius, five notches below the normal, and the humidity levels oscillated between 97 and 61 per cent, the Meteorological Department said.
Schools in neighbouring Ghaziabad and Gautam Buddh Nagar were ordered to remain closed on Thursday and Friday due to the cold weather.
