Manali Sees Season’s 1st Snowfall; Long Weekend Triggers 8-Km Traffic Jam, Leaves Tourists Stranded

On January 24, people took to social media to share visuals of the traffic nightmare unfolding in Manali after Himachal Pradesh witnessed the season’s first snowfall. Tourists and locals were stranded on the roads for hours, with several stretches reporting kilometres-long congestion. Here’s what the traffic situation looked like in the popular tourist town.

Manali Snowfall Nightmare Cause 8-Km Traffic Jam

People spending the night in their cars in Manali this is Manali as of this morning. What’s going on?

Earlier, people would stay home or avoid travelling during such extreme weather. Now, everyone wants to be “part of it,” completely ignoring the risks and even potential damage… pic.twitter.com/kdBQiTUIlf

— Rattan Dhillon (@ShivrattanDhil1) January 24, 2026

According to NDTV, the Republic Day long weekend, coupled with Manali witnessing the season’s first snowfall, triggered a traffic nightmare in the town. Roads leading to Manali were choked with vehicles, leaving many commuters stranded for hours. Notably, traffic between Kothi and Manali stretched for nearly 8 km.

The traffic jam reportedly began on Friday evening and remained uncleared even after 24 hours. Thousands of tourists were stranded in their vehicles, bringing the town to a complete standstill. While many remained stuck on the roads, hotel occupancy in Manali hit 100%, forcing several visitors to move to Kullu.

Visuals on social media showed thick layers of snow covering the tops of vehicles on the road. Besides Manali, snowfall caused road blockages across several regions in the state. A total of 685 roads were blocked across Himachal Pradesh, with Lahaul and Spiti worst affected with 292 closures. Chamba (132), Mandi (126), and Kullu (79) also saw major disruptions, while fewer roads were blocked in Sirmour, Kinnaur, Kangra, Una, and Solan areas. Snow blanketed the Hindustan-Tibet Road, causing authorities to suspend traffic movement beyond Dhalli.

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Heavy Snowfall In Next Few Days

Just received this from my cousin’s hotel in Manali. Look at the amount of snow.
Such snowfall in a single day was last seen after decades. Even areas that had not seen snow for the last 4 to 5 years witnessed snowfall yesterday. pic.twitter.com/UoVwBdaQnH

— Nikhil saini (@iNikhilsaini) January 24, 2026

NDTV reported that Himachal Pradesh has issued a statewide advisory warning of heavy snowfall and rainfall between January 26 and 28. The warning has been issued due to an active western disturbance, a storm system originating in the Mediterranean–Caspian Sea region and moving across Afghanistan and Pakistan, which is expected to remain active until Sunday.

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Cover Image Courtesy: X/@10Cenjoyer & X/@himachal_queen