Shimla, Feb 25 (IANS): The continuing cold tightened its grip over Himachal Pradesh on Sunday as the higher reaches of the state received a fresh spell of snow. However, there was widespread rainfall in the low and mid hills, the weather office said.

The weather office here has forecast more snow and rain in the state till Monday.

Shimla, which was received 15.8 mm rain, recorded a minimum temperature of 4.6 degrees Celsius, a fall by four degrees Celsius from Saturday.

"High hills in Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur, Kullu, Shimla, Sirmaur, Mandi and Chamba districts have been experiencing light to moderate snowfall since Friday," a weather department official told IANS.

Keylong in Lahaul and Spiti district was the coldest in the state where the mercury plummeted to three degrees Celsius below the freezing point.

Kalpa in Kinnaur district, which recorded 19 cm of snow, saw a low of minus 1.3 degrees Celsius, while it was 1 degree Celsius in Manali, 2.2 degrees in Kufri, 4.3 degrees in Dalhousie and 8.6 degrees Celsius in Dharamsala.

Manali received 49.6 mm rain, while Salooni in Chamba district recorded 54 mm rain, the highest in the state.

However, hills overlooking Manali experienced moderate snowfall.