Shimla, Feb 14 (IANS): A thick blanket of snow covered the picturesque tourist resorts of Shimla and Manali in Himachal Pradesh early Friday, making them perfect for revellers on the Valentine's Day.

As news of the snowfall spread, tourists started arriving at the hill stations, said members of the hospitality industry.

The temperature remained near the freezing point in many places, a weather department official told IANS here.

"The high hills in Lahaul and Spiti, Kinnaur, Kullu, Shimla, Sirmaur and Chamba districts have been experiencing moderate snowfall," he said.

Manali, which saw a low of minus one degree Celsius, saw 18 cm of snow.

Shimla, which recorded a minimum of one degree Celsius, saw 2 cm snow. But its nearby destinations Kufri, Fagu and Narkanda experienced moderate to heavy snowfall, the official said.

Kalpa, around 250 km from here, was the coldest at a minus 2.8 degrees Celsius. It saw 18 cm of snow.

Lower areas of the state including Dharamsala, Palampur, Solan, Nahan, Bilaspur, Una, Hamirpur and Mandi towns received moderate rain, bringing down the temperature considerably.