Shimla, Dec 26 (IANS): A day after snowfall, Himachal Pradesh saw a bright sunny day on Monday, turning the towns of Shimla and Dalhousie more picturesque.

"It is bright and sunny in most parts of the state after a day of rain and snow," an official at the Met Office here told IANS.

The minimum temperature in Shimla was 4.4 degrees Celsius, which saw the fallen snow melt soon with accompanying rains.

Destinations nearby Shimla like Kufri, Fagu and Narkanda experienced moderate snowfall in the past 24 hours.

Picturesque tourist resort Dalhousie in Chamba district saw 2.5 cm of snow.

Keylong, district headquarters of Lahaul and Spiti, was the coldest place in the state at the minimum of 6.1 degrees Celsius below the freezing point, while Kalpa in Kinnaur district saw a low of minus two degrees. The minimum temperature in Manali was minus 1.4 degrees and 8.8 degrees Celsius in Dharamsala.

Kalpa recorded 5 cm of snow, Dharamsala experienced rainfall, while Manali remained bereft of snow.

The Meteorological Office here said the western disturbance a weather storm system originating from the Mediterranean Sea that brings sudden winter rain and snowfall to the northwestern parts of the Indian subcontinent has started retrieving from the region, resulting in dry weather but temperatures would nosedive further.