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8-km traffic jams, people stuck in cars overnight as Manali sees tourist surge amid record snowfall. Watch

Viral videos on social media show kilometres-long traffic congestion, with thick layers of snow covering vehicles stuck on hill roads in Manali.

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jan 25, 2026 06:13 PM IST

Roads leading into Manali were among the worst affected (Image source: @GoHimachal_/X)

As Himachal Pradesh turned into a winter paradise after receiving the season’s first snowfall, Manali saw massive traffic disruptions that left thousands of tourists and locals stranded in chilling temperatures on roads for hours. According to several social media posts, the situation began on Friday evening as the hill town saw a tourist influx ahead of the long weekend.

Viral videos on social media show kilometres-long traffic congestion, with thick layers of snow covering vehicles stuck on hill roads. Several commuters reported being trapped inside their vehicles overnight as movement came to a halt.

Sharing a video, an X handle @GoHimachal wrote, “Think twice before coming to Manali during heavy snowfall. People stuck in traffic jams for 25+ hours in sub-zero temperatures.”

Watch here:

Think twice before coming to Manali during heavy snowfall.

People stuck in traffic jams for 25+ hours in sub-zero temperatures. pic.twitter.com/jWJNIlnccA

— Go Himachal (@GoHimachal_) January 25, 2026

“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,” another X user Nikhil Saini wrote.

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

Traffic Jam in Manali due to heavy snowfall. Over 500 roads including 4 NHs closed 🥶 pic.twitter.com/8PO0AgMd9N

— News Algebra (@NewsAlgebraIND) January 24, 2026

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Roads leading into Manali were among the worst affected, with traffic between Kothi and Manali stretching nearly eight kilometres at one point. Authorities struggled to clear the congestion as continuous snowfall hampered restoration efforts, NDTV reported.

Meanwhile, the state government issued a statewide advisory as an active western disturbance continues to impact the region. The Meteorological (MeT) Office said the system “would remain active till Sunday,” bringing additional spells of rain and snowfall between January 26 and 28.

A yellow warning has also been issued for dense fog and cold wave conditions in Kangra, Mandi, Solan, Una, Bilaspur, Hamirpur and Sirmour districts. Authorities have urged travellers to avoid unnecessary journeys and strictly follow official advisories amid the extreme weather conditions.