685 roads shut, 8-km snarl, 100% hotel occupancy: Manali snowfall rush leaves thousands stranded

Several roads remain blocked as residents and tourists face difficulties (Image: X/PTI)

• Heavy snowfall strands thousands of travelers in Himachal Pradesh
• Manali faces an 8 km traffic jam with tourists stuck for over 24 hours
• 685 roads blocked statewide as more snow and cold wave warnings issued

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Thousands of travellers remained stuck across Himachal Pradesh as heavy snowfall and relentless congestion crippled access to key tourist destinations, with Manali emerging as the worst hit.

A long line of vehicles has been snarled between Kothi and Manali, where one stretch alone saw an “8 km” traffic jam, according to reports.

The pile-up, which began on Friday evening, had still not cleared more than 24 hours later, leaving tourists stranded inside their cars and buses, while movement on several highways came to a halt.

Photographs circulating from the region showed vehicles buried under thick layers of snow, highlighting the severity of the situation.

The rush has been driven by a long weekend combined with snowfall described as the “season's first after nearly a three-month drought.” With hotels in Manali reporting full occupancy, visitors have started shifting toward nearby Kullu in search of accommodation.

Across the state, authorities said 685 roads are currently blocked. The tribal district of Lahaul and Spiti accounts for the highest number at 292, followed by Chamba with 132, Mandi with 126, and Kullu with 79. Road closures have also been reported from Sirmour (29), Kinnaur (20), Kangra (4), Una (2) and Solan (1).

Traffic beyond Dhalli, around 10 kilometres from Shimla, has been suspended as large portions of the Hindustan-Tibet Road remain snowbound.

Officials added that the entire Kinnaur district, along with towns such as Narkanda, Jubbal, Kotkhai, Kumarsain, Kharapathar, Rohru and Chopal, are presently cut off due to heavy snow accumulation.

The state government has issued a statewide advisory as an active western disturbance is expected to continue affecting the region between January 26 and 28.

The MeT Office said the system “would remain active till Sunday,” bringing additional rain and snowfall.

Meanwhile, a yellow warning has been sounded for dense fog and cold wave conditions in Kangra, Mandi, Solan, Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Sirmour, prompting authorities to urge travellers to avoid unnecessary journeys and follow official advisories closely.