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Shimla witnessed coldest December in 16 years
City last experienced such freezing temperatures in 2004, when average min temp dropped to 3.4°C and before that in 1997 when min temp fell to 3.1°C
Residents of Shimla witnessed the coldest December in 16 years with the average minimum temperature for the month dropping to 3.8°C.
Shimla last experienced such freezing temperatures in 2004, when the average minimum temperature dropped to 3.4°C and before that in 1997 when the city’s average minimum temperature dropped to 3.1°C.
The average maximum temperature in Shimla for December was 13.4°C which was the lowest recorded average maximum temperature in the last 20 years, surpassed only by an average maximum temperature of 10.5°C in 1986.
Keylong recorded a minimum temperature of -16.4°C, which was the lowest since 2009 when mercury had dropped to -13.2°C. On December 25, the average minimum in Keylong was -9.9°C, which was the also lowest minimum temperature after 2009 when it dropped to -8.4°C.
The monthly maximum temperature of Kalpa for December was 5.4°C which is the second-lowest since 1993. The last lowest maximum day temperature in December was 3.1°C.
Himachal also witnessed the highest precipitation since 2004 during the post monsoon season, which starts from October 1 and lasts till December 31. The state’s overall precipitation was 33% above normal.
In 2004, Himachal Pradesh had received 5% precipitation above normal during the post-monsoon season - the highest for the state.
Precipitation in 10 of 12 districts was 19% above normal. Lahaul-Spiti was the only district that witnessed deficit in precipitation. Its precipitation was 33% less than normal.
There were four spells of
precipitation in November and one significant spell in December. Shimla received 20.3cm snowfall in December, Kalpa 40.5cm, Keylong 32.5cm and Manali 22 cm.
Himachal Pradesh will be receive snowfall and rain for the next three days, as per the weatherman.
The weather on Wednesday remained dry throughout the state but the cold wave continued as minimum temperatures were one to two degrees below normal and the maximum temperatures were two to three degrees below normal.
With a minimum temperature -10°C, Keylong in Lahaul-Spiti district was the coldest in the state.
State meteorological department director Manmohan Singh said “Snowfall and rain are likely to continue till January 4. The weather will remain dry on January 5 and snowfall and rainfall will continue from January 6 and 7.”
The minimum temperature in Shimla was 1.4°C and the maximum temperature was 12.4°C, while Kufri, which is 4km away from Shimla shivered at -2.3°C.
Manali recorded a minimum temperature of -2.6°C while Dharamshala recorded a minimum temperature of 2.2°C.
The maximum temperatures in Manali and Dharamshala were 9.4 and 10.2°C, respectively. Dalhousie in Chamba
district recorded a minimum temperature of 0.1 degrees while Kalpa in Kinnaur district recorded -4.1°C.
Berthin in district Bilaspur was the hottest in the state as it recorded a maximum temperature of 21.4 °C