An avalanche warning was issued on Tuesday for several high-altitude areas of Uttarakhand, including Badrinath and Kedarnath, following fresh snowfall.
This marks the second spell of snowfall in the state within a week, after heavy snow on January 23 had already blanketed high-altitude regions.
In view of the snowfall and the risk of avalanches, the Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority has alerted all districts.
According to the forecast issued by the Chandigarh-based Defence Geo-Informatics Research Establishment (DGRE), “snowfall and avalanches are likely in various high-altitude areas from 5 pm on January 27 to 5 pm on January 28.”
Intermittent snowfall has been reported since Monday night in Badrinath in Chamoli district, Kedarnath and surrounding peaks in Rudraprayag district, and the higher reaches of Uttarkashi district.
Chakrata also witnessed snowfall in the evening, attracting a large number of tourists, while the ski resort of Auli received fresh snow. In the Kumaon region, high peaks around Munsiyari in Pithoragarh district were also covered with snow.
Meanwhile, light to moderate rainfall was recorded in lower areas. Dehradun woke up to a sunny morning on Tuesday, but the weather changed in the afternoon with intermittent rain. The Meteorological Department had issued an orange alert, prompting the closure of schools in the capital city.
According to the DGRE warning, “Uttarkashi, Chamoli, and Rudraprayag have been placed in the 'orange' category, indicating deep and unstable snow cover on most avalanche paths with a high likelihood of natural avalanches that could reach valley floors.”
The advisory added, “In this situation, only limited movement along selected and relatively safe routes is considered appropriate, and any activity on snow-covered slopes can be risky.”
Pithoragarh district has been placed in the 'yellow' category, where “unstable snow is present on some avalanche paths, with the possibility of small natural avalanches in limited areas. Movement in valley areas is possible with caution, but venturing onto snow-covered slopes should be avoided.”
As a precautionary measure amid inclement weather, schools up to class 12 have been closed in Tehri, Uttarkashi, Almora, Rudraprayag, Pithoragarh, and Udham Singh Nagar districts.