Himachal October 15, 2026 7 min

Leh–Manali and Manali–Kaza Roads Shut by Snow: 15 Oct 2026

Snow closed the Manali–Leh highway beyond Darcha and the Manali–Kaza road between Gramphu and Batal on 15 October 2026. What shut, IMD’s forecast and how to re-plan Spiti and Leh trips.

Suzu Travels

Travel Expert at Suzu Travels

Snow closed the Manali–Leh highway beyond Darcha and the Manali–Kaza road between Gramphu and Batal on Thursday, 15 October 2026. Fresh snow fell on Baralacha La, Shinku La and Kunzum La, and the Lahaul-Spiti administration stopped all vehicles from heading towards the three passes. The IMD centre in Shimla expects only isolated light rain or snow on 16 and 17 October and dry weather across Himachal from 18 October. Clearance work usually follows that, but there is no official reopening date. If you are driving to Spiti from Manali or to Leh by road in the next few days, plan on these stretches being shut until the district says otherwise.

Below: what closed and where, what the forecast says, and what it means for trips booked for the rest of October. We are a ground operator in Himachal, so the advice is about what to change in an actual itinerary, not just a weather report.

What closed on 15 October 2026

The district administration’s road report, carried by local and national media through Thursday, listed these high-altitude stretches as closed:

Darcha–Sarchu on the Manali–Leh highway. This section crosses Baralacha La. Leh by road from Manali is blocked here.
Gramphu–Batal on the Gramphu–Kaza road (NH-505). This is the Manali-side entry to Spiti over Kunzum La, so Kaza cannot be reached from Manali.
Darcha–Shinku La on the road to Padum, Zanskar.
Sach Pass (Chamba–Pangi), which got about a foot of snow according to PTI.

Lahaul-Spiti Police asked tourists and residents to avoid unnecessary travel, check road and weather conditions before heading to high areas, and follow instructions from police on the road. Police helped about 100 vehicles stuck near Gondla and other tourist vehicles near Keylong get back down. No injuries were reported in the coverage we checked.

How much snow fell

The IMD Shimla bulletin issued at 1 pm on 15 October recorded 5 cm of snow at Gondla and 3 cm at Keylong in the 24 hours to 8:30 am. Snow kept falling through the day at Koksar, Sissu, Jispa and the Atal Tunnel North Portal, and on the Dhauladhar above Dharamshala. Kukumseri in Lahaul was the coldest place in the state at −0.4°C. Lower down it rained instead: Khadrala near Shimla got 8 cm and Dharamshala 3 cm.

This follows earlier spells of snow on the high passes in late September and again on 10–11 October, when Rohtang, Shinku La, Kunzum and Baralacha got fresh snow (our Manali weather update for 12–16 October covers that spell).

The forecast: when does it clear?

IMD Shimla’s district forecast for 15–19 October:

District	16 Oct	17 Oct	18–19 Oct
Lahaul & Spiti	Isolated light rain/snow	Isolated light rain/snow	Dry
Kullu (Manali)	Isolated light rain/snow	Isolated light rain/snow	Dry
Kinnaur	Isolated light rain/snow	Isolated light rain/snow	Dry
Chamba, Kangra	Isolated light rain/snow	Isolated light rain/snow	Dry
Shimla, Mandi	Isolated light rain	Isolated light rain	Dry

IMD has no thunderstorm, hail or wind warnings for any district from 16 to 21 October. It expects night temperatures to drop another 2–3°C over the next day and then rise slowly over the following three or four days. IMD Himachal senior scientist Sandeep Kumar Sharma told ANI that activity would ease from 16 October, with largely clear skies across most of the state from around 18 October.

Clear skies are not the same as an open road. Snow on Baralacha La and Kunzum La has to be cleared and the surface has to be safe before the administration lets traffic through. Mid-October is close to the end of the season up there anyway. Do not assume a pass will reopen just because the sun is out. Wait for the district’s road report.

What this means for your trip

Spiti from Manali: switch to the Shimla–Kinnaur route

With Gramphu–Batal shut, the only way into Spiti is from the Shimla side through Kinnaur (Shimla – Narkanda – Rampur – Reckong Peo – Nako – Tabo – Kaza). The 15 October reports we checked did not list that route as closed. It is a longer drive but stays lower for much of the way, which also helps with acclimatisation. If your plan was a Manali-in, Shimla-out circuit, reverse it into an out-and-back from Shimla, or end the trip in Kaza and come back down the same way. Our comparison of the two routes into Spiti sets out the trade-offs, and agents re-routing groups can reach our Spiti ground team for rebooking.

Chandratal lies on the Batal side, so treat it as off the itinerary while Gramphu–Batal is closed.

Leh by road: fly instead

The Manali–Leh highway is closed at Darcha–Sarchu. Each snow spell this late in October makes another reopening less likely, and the road stays shut through winter in any case. If Ladakh is the goal, fly into Leh and acclimatise there. Our Ladakh in winter guide explains how the cold-season trip works.

Manali, Sissu and the Atal Tunnel: the good news

Fresh snow at Koksar, Sissu and the Atal Tunnel North Portal means anyone in Manali now has real snow within a day trip, on the Lahaul side of the tunnel. That is the trip most families are hoping for in October. Access depends on the police letting vehicles through the tunnel on the day, and after fresh snow they can stop non-4×4 vehicles or shut the road. Book with a driver who checks the morning status, and keep the day flexible. Our page on the Atal Tunnel and Sissu snow trip covers how that day works.

Shimla, Kullu, Dharamshala and the Diwali–Dussehra season

Lower Himachal had rain on 15 October, not snow, and IMD expects most of the state to be dry from 18 October. That is good timing for Kullu Dussehra and the Diwali holidays. Plan for colder nights than last week. Snow on the Dhauladhar now makes a clear view from Dharamshala and McLeodganj once the cloud lifts. For packages through the season, see our Himachal tour packages.

Packing checklist after this spell

Thermals, a down or padded jacket, gloves and a warm cap. Nights near or below 0°C are now normal in Lahaul.
Waterproof shoes with grip for slush near Sissu and Koksar.
Extra buffer days on any high-altitude itinerary. A one-day weather hold is now a realistic part of the plan.
Cash and offline maps. Mobile signal and ATMs thin out quickly beyond Keylong and Kaza.

How to check the road status before you leave

We don’t publish a live open/closed board, because high-pass status can change within hours. Before you drive, check:

Lahaul-Spiti Police and district administration. They issue the daily road status report for Darcha–Sarchu, Gramphu–Batal and Darcha–Shinku La. For emergencies, dial 112.
BRO (Project Deepak / Himank) posts snow-clearance updates on the passes.
IMD Meteorological Centre, Shimla publishes the district forecast every day at mausam.imd.gov.in/shimla.
Our page on Rohtang permits and high-pass road status keeps a dated record of when Kunzum, Baralacha and the Atal Tunnel road have opened and closed.

FAQ

Is the Leh–Manali highway open today?

As of the evening of Thursday, 15 October 2026, the Darcha–Sarchu stretch was closed after snowfall on Baralacha La, and no reopening date had been announced. Check the Lahaul-Spiti district road report on the morning you plan to travel.

Can I go to Spiti from Manali right now?

Not on 15 October 2026. Gramphu–Batal was closed and vehicles were stopped from heading to Kunzum La. Use the Shimla–Kinnaur route instead, which was not reported closed.

When will the weather clear in Himachal?

IMD Shimla forecasts isolated light rain or snow in the higher districts on 16 and 17 October and dry weather statewide on 18 and 19 October.

Is there snow in Manali now?

Manali town got rain. Snow fell higher up, at Koksar, Sissu, Jispa, Keylong and the Atal Tunnel North Portal, all reachable from Manali when the tunnel road is open.

Will Kunzum Pass reopen this season?

Nobody can say yet. It depends on clearing work and whether more snow comes. Plan Spiti trips for the rest of October via Kinnaur. If the pass does reopen, Manali becomes an option again.

Is it safe to travel to Lahaul right now?

Police have asked people to avoid unnecessary travel to high-altitude areas until conditions improve. If you do go, travel in daylight with an experienced local driver, never try to cross a closed stretch, and follow instructions at police checkpoints.

Need to re-route a Spiti or Lahaul trip, or want a Manali snow day planned around the road report? Call or WhatsApp Suzu Travels on 7087488961.