Normal life has been affected in high altitude settlements of several mountain districts due to snowfall since Thursday.

In Manang, the temperature plummeted to minus 20 degrees Celsius after incessant snowfall for 12 hours. 

According to Chief District Officer of Manang Rudranath Devkota, snowfall was reported in Manang Nisyang, Narapabhumi, Chame and Naso rural municipalities in Manang. Devkota said the temperature was recorded at minus 19 degrees Celsius in Chame at 6 am on Thursday. The temperature was minus 13 degrees Celsius in the

afternoon.

According to Babulal Tiruwa, officer at Area Conse-rvation Office of Annapurna Conservation Area Project, the temperature dropped to minus 20 degrees Celsius in upper Manang at 4am on Friday following the snowfall. “We urged tourists who are heading towards Upper Manang to not walk during the snowfall,” he added.

Similarly in Humla, there is a thick blanket of snow in Simkot, the district headquarters, and other settlements in the northern part. Three settlements of Limi in Namkha Rural Municipality have been cut off from other parts of the district as the heavy snowfall on Friday blocked the foot trail. Most of the locals in Limi have already left for warmer places to avoid the severe cold. Only the elderly people, caretakers and monks at the monasteries are in the remote settlement now.   

Meanwhile, all the flights to and from Simkot Airport were cancelled on Friday as snow piled up in the runway.

In Dolakha, the locals have been greatly affected by the cold weather followed by snowfall. There is a thick blanket of snow in Kalinchok and Sailung while Charikot and Jiri also witnessed brief snowfall on Friday. Hari Oli, a local hotelier in Kalinchok, said the tourists visiting the area have been enjoying the snowfall.