Fresh Snowfall In Higher Reaches Of Kashmir

Srinagar: The higher reaches of Kashmir, including the tourist resorts of Gulmarg and Pahalgam received fresh snowfall during the night, while some areas in the plains were lashed by rains, even as the Meteorological department here predicted a wet spell over the next few days.

There was light snowfall in the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg and the hill resort of Pahalgam during the night, an official of the Meteorological department said today.

He said while the department keeps no record of the snowfall in most of the higher reaches of Kashmir, there were reports of fresh snow in Peer Ki Gali on Mughal Road in Shopian, Sonamarg, Amarnath Cave Shrine and other such places in the upper reaches of the Valley.

The snowfall, along with rains, which first began during the day yesterday in many areas, broke the long dry spell in Kashmir which had resulted in the night temperature hovering several degrees below the freezing point and also led to increase in common ailments like cough and cold.

With the rains intermittent in the plains including in summer capital Srinagar - there was a huge improvement in the minimum temperature at most places in the Valley. The mercury in Srinagar rose over a degree from the previous night's 1 degree Celsius to settle at a low of 2.2 degrees Celsius, the official said.

He said the minimum in the city stayed above the freezing point for the second consecutive night after remaining below zero degrees Celsius for more than a fortnight.

The night temperature in Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir Valley, also went up from minus 2.3 degrees Celsius the previous night to settle above the freezing point at a low of 0.8 degree Celsius, the official said.

The mercury also marked an improvement in Kupwara town in north Kashmir which recorded the minimum of 1.7 degrees Celsius compared to the previous night's minus 3.1 degrees Celsius.

Kokernag, in south, registered a low of minus 1.4 degrees Celsius, the official said.