A village in Dolpa covered in a blanket of snow. (Below) Snow-covered Manang district. Photos: RSS

December 29: Snowfall has occurred in many places in the mountainous region and high hill areas of the country since Sunday evening, affecting the normal life.    
A report from Phungling in Taplejung district of Province no 1 states that heavy snowfall since Sunday evening has led to a sharp drop in mercury level in the mountainous district. Heavy snowfall occurred at Ghunsa and other areas in Phaktanglung rural municipality which is situated at an altitude of above 3,400 metres from the sea level.    
Although moderate snowfall started occurring in Ghunsa area from the last week, heavy snowfall occurred since last night, affecting the normal life in the areas, said Pema Sherpa, a local. He said people have not been able to go outdoors due to the snowfall and accumulation of thick snow outside. According to Sherpa, children and the elderly people have been affected the most due to the freezing cold.    

Similarly, most parts of Humla district in Karnali Province have received heavy snowfall, affecting life of the people, including in Simikot, the district headquarters. The district headquarters is blanketed by snow as it started snowing continuously since the morning today (December 29). It has been reported that two-feet thick snow has accumulated in the area, plunging the mercury to minus 12 degrees Celsius.    
The northern belt of the district has received heavy snowfall while the southern belt is getting rainfall since the morning. Four feet snow has accumulated in Limi and Muchu settlements in Namkha Rural Municipality in the northern belt, said Chhapal Lama, a local of Muchu. The rivers and streams and water taps have frozen. The temperature in Muchu has dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius.        
Tribhuvan Highway obstructed due to snowfall    
A report from Makawanpur states that the vehicular movement in the Tribhuvan Highway in Makawanpur district has been obstructed due to snowfall since Tuesday night.    
The snowfall that occurred last night led to obstruction of traffic movement in the Highway since today morning at 7, said Area Police Office, Palung's Inspector Shreeram Timalsina.    
The traffic movement was halted to prevent road accidents as the roads could be slippery due to snowfall, added inspector Timalsina. Simbhanjyang and Aghor in Makawanpur district are receiving snowfall by the time this news report was prepared.    
The snow in the road would be cleared off once the weather starts improving, he said.    
A report from Dadeldhura said snowfall has occurred in the hill districts including Dadeldhura, Doti and Baitadi, and mountainous districts such as Darchula, Bajhanag and Bajura of the Sudurpaschim Province since last night.    
Vehicular movement along the Bhimdatta and Jayaprithvi highways has been obstructed due to the accumulation of snow at several sections of the highways. The Bhimdutta highway has been blocked by snow at Hagulte and Sahukharka area. Vehicles heading to various destinations have been stranded. -- RSS