Shimla, Jan 12 (IANS): The hills of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday saw a marginal rise in the mercury owing to cloudy conditions but temperatures still remained below freezing in many areas of the state. The weatherman forecast more rain and snow across the state.

"There are chances of widespread rain and snow in the state till Monday," an official of the Met Office here told IANS.

He said in the past 24 hours Kalpa in Kinnaur district saw mild snowfall. It recorded a low of minus 4 degrees Celsius.

Keylong, district headquarters town of Lahaul-Spiti, was the coldest in the state at a minimum temperature of minus 11.3 degrees Celsius.

Picturesque tourist resort Manali, which is still wrapped in a thick blanket of last week's snow, saw a low of minus 0.8 degree, while the minimum temperature was 1.6 degrees in Dalhousie and 3.2 degrees Celsius in Dharamsala.

The minimum temperature in the state capital Shimla was 5.1 degrees.

Snow could still be seen in certain areas of Shimla like the Mall Road, the ridge, the US Club and Jakhu hills after last week's snowfall.

Areas near Shimla like Kufri and Narkanda are also covered under a thick blanket of snow.