Fresh snowfall in the Dhauladhar mountain ranges on Thursday brought a sudden drop in temperatures and created rare June weather conditions in Himachal Pradesh. Snowfall at higher altitudes during this month is considered highly unusual, and the recent weather shift has been welcomed by local tourism stakeholders.
In Dharamshala, the minimum temperature was recorded at 16 degrees Celsius, while the maximum temperature remained at 21 degrees Celsius. The region has experienced consistent rainfall for over a week, further enhancing the cool and scenic atmosphere.
Papinder Kumar, a hotel employee, shared his excitement:
“The weather is very nice here. It rains every day. There has been snowfall in the mountains, which is very rare in June. I am thinking of wearing a jacket instead of my T-shirt. We are happy that such a climate will bring more tourists to this region.”
Local hoteliers are optimistic that the unusual weather will attract more visitors to the Kangra Valley.
Dharmaveer, a hotelier, told media, “It has been raining every day for the last week here in Dharamshala. Right now, the temperature is 16 degrees here, whereas the lower areas are quite hot, so we are hopeful to receive more tourists during this summer season. There is a fresh snowfall on the Dhauladhar mountains, which I have seen for the first time in June.”
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) in Shimla, the state received light to moderate rainfall in the past 24 hours. The department forecasts light rain at a few locations on June 5 and isolated showers on June 6. Dry weather is expected to prevail for the remainder of the week.
IMD Shimla reported:
“Light to moderate rain was observed at many places over the state during past 24 hours. No large change in minimum temperatures during the past 24 hours for many stations; they were below normal by 3-6 degrees Celsius for most of the stations and in the range of 5-21 degrees Celsius over the state during the past 24 hours. No large change in maximum temperatures during the past 24 hours for many stations; they were below normal by 4-7 degrees Celsius for most of the stations and were in the range of 16-38 degrees Celsius. Today, the Lowest minimum temperature was recorded at Keylong at 4.8 degrees Celsius. Yesterday’s highest maximum temperature was recorded at Paonta Sahib at 38 degrees Celcius.”
With this rare June snowfall and persistent rain, Himachal Pradesh has transformed into an unexpectedly cool summer retreat, drawing interest from tourists escaping the intense heat in the plains.