Manali Snow Rush Brings Traffic To A Standstill: 15 Km Covered In 10 Hours

What was meant to be a scenic winter getaway turned into a harrowing ordeal as Manali remained paralysed by massive traffic jams for the second consecutive day on Sunday. An extraordinary rush of tourists, combined with icy roads and sub-zero temperatures, brought the popular hill town in Himachal Pradesh’s Kullu district to a complete standstill.

The worst-hit areas were the exit routes out of Manali, where vehicles crawled bumper-to-bumper for hours. A journey of barely 15 km to Patlikuhal stretched beyond 10 hours for many, with traffic snarls extending more than 10 km along the narrow Kullu–Manali highway.

Icy Roads, Endless Jams On Manali Exit Routes

Slippery road conditions and unchecked tailgating worsened the situation, pushing traffic all the way to the 15 Mile point near Patlikuhal, a small market town where snow had begun to melt. Despite relatively clear weather over the weekend, icy patches rendered the two-lane highway nearly impassable.

Snow-clearing operations by the National Highways Authority of India offered little relief, as the sheer volume of vehicles overwhelmed the road capacity.

Tourists Abandon Cars, Walk On Ice

As the gridlock dragged into the night, desperation set in. Several tourists abandoned their vehicles and began trekking downhill on foot. A viral video allegedly shot around 2.30 am on Sunday showed people pulling trolley bags across ice-covered roads, some slipping and falling in the process.

“This is the situation of people who rushed to Manali, ended up stranded,” wrote an X user, @rose_k01.

For hundreds, the ordeal stretched through the freezing night as buses, taxis and cars barely moved and temperatures dropped below zero.

Families Shiver Through The Night Inside Vehicles

Many tourists, including children, spent Saturday night trapped inside vehicles, shivering in the cold. The slow crawl tested patience and endurance alike.

“It took us 12 hours just to reach Patlikuhal,” said Kulwinder Singh from Ferozepur, Punjab. “We spent the night shivering in the car. I have never seen such a nightmarish traffic jam.”

Another tourist echoed similar frustration. “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.”

Police Block Entry As Rush Turns ‘Unprecedented’

The situation worsened as thousands of tourists tried to exit Manali while thousands more attempted to enter, chasing snowfall. To control the chaos, police blocked fresh inflow at Patlikuhal and Bhuntar near Kullu airport.

“We are only allowing 4x4 vehicles beyond Patlikuhal to prioritise evacuation of stranded tourists,” said Manali DSP K D Sharma.

Kullu SP Madan Lal described the tourist surge as unprecedented. Around 200 police personnel have been deployed round the clock, but authorities admit the narrow mountain highway remains overwhelmed.

More Trouble Ahead As Fresh Snowfall Forecast

Relief may be short-lived. The Meteorological Department in Shimla has forecast another spell of heavy rain and snow from the night of January 26 through January 28. A severe cold wave continues across Himachal Pradesh.

On Sunday, Tabo village in the remote Lahaul-Spiti district recorded the state’s lowest temperature at -10 degrees Celsius, while Manali dipped to -1.1 degrees Celsius raising concerns that travel disruptions could worsen in the coming days.