Elsewhere in Himachal Pradesh and its higher reaches including famous Rohtang Pass also witnessed snowfall on the second day today. The tourists resorts of Manali and Dalhousie, besides Tissa, Bharmour, Kelong, Kalpa and Kaza also experienced snowfall. Several areas also were lashed by mild rains breaking the dry spell.

The rains and snow have suddenly changed the mood of the people who shivered under intense cold conditions. The rains and snow are being hailed by the fruit growers and agriculturists. The things were perhaps worse in 1997 when Shimla and other Himachal hills had experienced season's first snowfall on January 18. Last year, Shimla had witnessed snowfall on January 29.

CHANDIGARH: Intermittent rain and snow at several places in the north-west region came as a boon to farmers even as the biting cold weather intensified in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi overnight.

Chilly winds swept across the region during the day, forcing the people indoors. The rain, which broke a prolonged dry spell in the region, is beneficial for Rabi crops, according to agriculture experts.

The remote Dodra Kwar area and Chopal in Shimla district, Churdhar mountains in Sirmour district and the hills surrounding Solan had the first snowfall of the season. The Dhauladhar range along the Kangra valley has also been receiving snowfall since yesterday.

The snowfall since last night has taken in its arc, Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh and adjoining Doda district.

Several parts of Kashmir valley and Ladakh had moderate to heavy snowfall during the period with reports coming in from Yashmarg, Amarnath, Khilanmarg, Sonmarg, Pahalgam and Gulmarg in the Kashmir valley and those in Drass, Kargil and forward areas in Ladakh.

Ponds, water springs and lakes have frozen in Ladakh region and at many places in the Kashmir valley.

The lower hills in Himachal Pradesh were lashed by moderate to heavy rain for the second day today. Reports of rain poured in from Bhuntar, Sundernagar, Mandi, Jogindernagar, Palampur, Kangra, Dharamsala, Chamba, Bilaspur, Hamirpur, Nadaun, Sujanpur Tira, Una and Solan. There were reports of widespread rain in Amritsar, Pathankot, Hoshiarpur, Ropar and Patiala in Punjab and Kalka, Naraingarh, Jagadhri, Yamunanagar, Ambala, Kurukshetra and Gurgaon in Haryana.