White Christmas hope in HP after 19 yrs

CHANDIGARH: “Nineteen years is a long wait,” says Ashutosh Chauhan, a businessman in Shimla as the ‘Queen of Hills’ gets all decked up to celebrate a White Christmas.
The season’s maiden snowfall at Kufri, a tourist destination 20 km from Shimla, though mild, has revived hope in a million hearts of snow on December 25 — the first time since 1991. On Wednesday, the day temperature was 14.3 degrees celsius and the minimum 3.5 degrees. “We’re praying for snow on Christmas day,” says Chauhan, expressing the collective sentiment of both locals and visitors.
There’s something about the first snowfall that seems to rekindle hope. Kufri is located at a height of 2,510 metres above sea level, while Shimla is at 2,200 metres. Manmohan Singh, director of meteorological centre, Shimla, says, “Hope is certainly there, but it all depends on the western disturbances. Right now, all indications are that tourists will not be disappointed this season. One or two spells of snowfall are expected.’’
Snow has eluded yearend tourists in the hill state since 1991. “All indications are that of possible snowfall then, as temperature is 3-4 degrees less than that of last year,” claims a porter at the Shimla bus stand.

In 1989, Shimla received snowfall from December 22 to 24; in 1995, from December 21 to 22. Last year, excited tourists, both national and international, had thronged the state capital with hopes of celebrating Christmas amid snowflakes, but left dejected. This year, the dipping mercury has raised their hopes of snow on Christmas day.
“Though Christmas trees and Santa Claus are permanent fixtures, snow is like an icing on the cake,” says Ravinder Chauhan, a resident of Sanjauli. Going by the forecasters predictions, that parts of the state could see a white Christmas, ripples of excitement from the hills have reached the plains and people are bracing themselves for below freezing temperatures and snow.