Snow show in Nagarkot

On weekends, Nagarkot's cool breeze and coniferous forests are a summer getaway for Kathmandu residents, but this Saturday it became a winter wonderland.

Heavy snowfall of up to 30cm on Friday turned the ridgetop resort at 2,300m elevation and 25km east of Kathmandu into a selfie spot. As word spread through social media, hundreds of vehicles jammed the highway up to the town on Saturday.

Young and old alike could be seen making snowballs and revelling in the powder snow. Others took quiet walks up the ridge along forest paths in deep snow.

The westerly weather system arrived in western Nepal on Thursday, and a major storm on Friday dumped rain and snow on the Kathmandu Valley rim.

While city folk were enjoying the snow, it also caused major hardships as the mercury plummeted and highways were blocked by snow and ice, especially in western Nepal. In Madhes Province, three people were killed as storms lashed the plains on Friday.

There has so far been 70mm of rain in Kathmandu so far this winter, which is more than three times the precipitation during the drought last winter.

The rain and snow subsided by Saturday noon, and the snow had started to melt. The weather is expected to clear up from Sunday.