Manali Turns Into a Tourist Trap as Fresh Snow Alert Looms, Thousands Stranded in Hours-Long Jams

Manali

turned into a tourist trap over the weekend as heavy snowfall, icy roads and an unprecedented rush of visitors brought traffic to a standstill, leaving thousands stranded for hours even as the India Meteorological Department issued a fresh snow alert for Himachal Pradesh.

Snow Alert as Weather Set to Worsen

The India Meteorological Department warned that weather conditions in Himachal Pradesh may deteriorate from Monday due to a fresh western disturbance likely to bring heavy snowfall. A yellow warning has been issued for the entire state for Monday, with thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds possible at isolated places.For Tuesday, the alert as per a report by TOI, has been upgraded to orange for Kullu, Kinnaur, Chamba and Lahaul and Spiti districts, with heavy snowfall and rain forecast. The remaining districts are under a yellow alert, with a cold day and thunderstorms likely.

The warning comes as snowfall has already disrupted normal life across the state. As many as 835 roads, including three national highways, remained closed on Sunday. According to the State Emergency Operation Centre, 282 roads were blocked in Lahaul and Spiti, including the Leh Manali highway and the Kaza Gramphu road. Power supply was also hit, with 1,942 transformers disrupted statewide, leaving thousands of households without electricity.

Manali Gridlock Leaves Tourists Stranded Overnight

What was meant to be a peaceful getaway for tourists from Delhi, Gurugram and Chandigarh quickly turned into an ordeal as heavy snowfall brought Manali to a standstill, leaving hundreds stranded in sub-zero conditions.Despite relatively clear weather through Saturday and Sunday, Manali remained paralysed by traffic chaos. Thousands of tourists were stranded for a second straight day as highways leading into the hill town were choked with traffic as roads were buried under up to two feet of snow, crippling movement on key stretches. Traffic jams stretched over 10 kilometres from Manali to the 15 Mile point near Patlikuhal, a distance of roughly 15 kilometres that took many travellers more than 10 hours to cross.

For hundreds, the ordeal stretched through the night as buses, taxis and private cars barely moved while temperatures dipped below freezing. “It took us 12 hours just to reach Patlikuhal,” said Kulwinder Singh from Ferozepur, Punjab as per TOI. “We spent the night shivering in the car. I have never seen such a nightmarish traffic jam.”News agency ANI quoted one stranded visitor as saying, “We have been stuck in the car all night. There are children with us; we are in a lot of trouble. There is no toilet facility here... The administration should have made better arrangements for the snowfall.”For many, the ordeal stretched beyond mobility, with access to food and rest becoming scarce. “We have not eaten anything except biscuits and chips,” another tourist said. “We've only had water and have been stuck in the car for more than 24 hours. We couldn't sleep at night and couldn't have breakfast.”

Tourists Abandon Vehicles, Walk on Ice

Despite snow clearing efforts by the National Highways Authority of India, icy patches and sheer traffic volume rendered the two lane Kullu Manali highway nearly impassable. Frustration soon boiled over, with several tourists abandoning their vehicles and trekking downhill on foot toward Patlikuhal.“This is easily the worst jam I’ve ever seen,” said Himanshu Sharma, a tourist from Noida. “I can reach Patlikuhal faster on foot than by car.”

As thousands attempted to leave Manali, thousands more tried to enter in search of snowfall. Police blocked fresh inflow at Patlikuhal and Bhuntar to prevent the situation from worsening. “We are only allowing 4x4 vehicles beyond Patlikuhal to prioritise evacuation of stranded tourists,” said Manali DSP K D Sharma as quoted by TOI. Kullu SP Madan Lal described the rush as unprecedented.