Kashmir comes to a standstill after heavy spells of fresh snowfall
Fresh snowfall was recorded in many areas, especially in the higher reaches of Kashmir, leading to the closure of Srinagar-Jammu national highway, even as more wet weather has been forecast over the next few days.
The Meteorological Department has forecast scattered rains or snow today, fairly widespread rains or snow tomorrow, widespread rains or snow over three days from January 24-26 and scattered rains or snow a day after.
Many parts of the valley experienced fresh snowfall last night with the plains, including Srinagar, witnessing light snow in the wee hours, a MeT official here said.
Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded 4 cm of fresh snowfall during the last 24 hours, while Pahalgam hill resort recorded 13 cm of fresh snow.
Srinagar recorded 0.8 cm of fresh snowfall, the official said.
Fresh snowfall in the areas along the arterial road, the only all-weather road-link connecting Kashmir Valley with the rest of the country, forced its closure.
"The national highway has been closed for traffic due to slippery conditions on the road at many places because of the snowfall," an official of the Traffic Department told Press Trust of India.
One-way traffic on the highway was scheduled to ply from Srinagar to Jammu today but the vehicles were stopped near Qazigund as the road was slippery, he said.
The MeT official said the region is likely to be hit by a bout of western disturbance today. The forecast of wet weather for almost a week has prompted the divisional administration to issue directions for taking precautionary measures.
Kashmir is currently under the grip of 'Chillai-Kalan', considered the harshest period of winter, when the chances of snowfall are the most and the temperature drops considerably.
The valley has already experienced heavy snowfall twice during this period so far, first one on January 6 and then on January 16, throwing life out of gear on both occasions.
'Chillai-Kalan', which, began on December 21 last year, ends on January 31. The cold however, is supposed to continue even after that. The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day long 'Chillai-Khurd' (small cold) and a 10-day long 'Chillai-Bachha' (baby cold).
Meanwhile, the night temperature across the Valley and Ladakh region, except in Qazigund, improved from previous night.
Srinagar recorded the minimum of minus 1.3 degrees Celsius, an increase of two degrees from the previous night's minus 3.3 degrees Celsius, the MeT official said.
He said the famous health resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir, which serves as a base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra, registered a low of minus 3.6 degrees Celsius, up from the previous night's minus 7.2 degrees Celsius.
The official said the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 6.0 degrees Celsius, four degrees up from minus 10 degrees Celsius yesterday. He said the resort was the coldest recorded place in the Valley.
The official said Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir Valley, in south registered a low of minus 4.2 degrees Celsius, a degree down from the previous night's minus 3.2 degrees Celsius.
Kupwara, in north, recorded a low of minus 1.3 degrees Celsius, while the mercury in Kokernag town in south Kashmir improved by over two degrees from the yesterday's low of minus 6.7 degrees Celsius to settle at a low of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius, he said.
Leh town of Ladakh region was the coldest recorded place in the state as the mercury there settled at a low of minus 8.6 degrees Celsius - up from the previous night's minus 13.9 degrees Celsius, the official said.