The roads leading to Manaliin Himachal Pradesh’sKullu district are heavily congested, with tourists stuck in long traffic jams for hours. On one stretch between Kothi and Manali, vehicles were backed up for nearly 8 km. The problem has worsened due to the long weekendand the season’s first snowfall after almost three months of dry weather. Authorities on Saturday asked tourists to strictly follow official advisories as weather conditions continue to deteriorate.
Several videos shared on social media showed cars and buses stranded for hours, forcing many people to spend the night on the roads while snow kept falling. Many vehicles were seen buried under thick layers of snow. With hotels in Manali fully booked, some tourists have started moving towards Kullu.
VIDEO | Manali, Himachal Pradesh: Heavy snowfall blankets roads in Manali, leading to traffic congestion and disruption of daily life. Several roads remain blocked as residents and tourists face difficulties. The administration, along with the health department, has stepped in to… pic.twitter.com/SuX6BdxuVz
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) January 25, 2026
Hundreds of roads blocked across Himachal
Across Himachal Pradesh, as many as 685 roads are currently blocked. The worst-hit area is the tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti with 292 closed roads. This is followed by Chamba with 132 roads blocked, Mandi with 126, Kullu with 79, Sirmour with 29, Kinnaur with 20, Kangra with four, Una with two and Solan with one, according to a report by NDTV.
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Reports said the traffic jam, which began on Friday evening, has still not eased even after 24 hours, leaving thousands of tourists stranded and bringing traffic to a complete halt.
Statewide advisory issued amid western disturbance
The Himachal Pradesh government has issued a statewide advisory due to an active western disturbance that is expected to bring heavy snowfall and rain across the state between January 26 and 28. Traffic beyond Dhalli, around 10 km from Shimla, has been suspended as a large section of the Hindustan-Tibet Road is covered in snow.
Heavy snowfall has cut off the entire Kinnaur district and several towns in Shimla district, including Narkanda, Jubbal, Kotkhai, Kumarsain, Kharapathar, Rohru and Chopal, a government official said.
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The Meteorological Department said the western disturbance, which originates from the Mediterranean-Caspian Sea region and moves across Afghanistan and Pakistan, will remain active till Sunday, bringing more rain and snow. A yellow warning has also been issued for dense fog and cold wave conditions in Kangra, Mandi, Solan, Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Sirmour for tomorrow.
After a long dry spell, widespread rain and snowfall over the past 24 hours have led to a sharp drop in temperatures across Himachal Pradesh, disrupting daily life but also raising hopes for farmers, orchard owners and the tourism industry. |
