Snow-starved Himalayas finally gets season's first heavy snowfall. Watch

Prayers for snow in the northern parts of the Himalayas finally came true as Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and other parts of north India received the season's first heavy snowfall, ending a two-month-long dry spell and intensifying the winter chill in the region. This winter, the area had until January 30 experienced minimal to no snowfall, contrary to the usual weather schedule. Experts attributed it to climate change owing to global warming.

On January 30, however, locals and tourists were delighted with the heavy snowfall even as it disrupted daily operations and blocked roads.

In Himachal Pradesh, snowfall in tribal areas and other high reaches led to the closure of 134 roads, including four national highways. About 15-cm deep snow has been recorded in the higher reaches of Shimla district since Tuesday night, MeT official Sandeep Sharma told PTI, adding that the day temperatures have dropped by four-five days in one day.

The local MeT office has issued an orange warning of heavy snow and rains at isolated places in five districts -- Shimla, Kullu, Chamba, Kinnaur, and Lahaul, and Spiti on January 31 and February 1.

In Jammu and Kashmir, many areas in the higher reaches, including along the Zojila axis on the Srinagar-Leh highway, received fresh snowfall, while the plains were lashed by rains. The tourist resorts of Gulmarg, Sonamarg, and Pahalgam received fresh light to moderate snowfall overnight, officials said.