Snowfall in Gulmarg. (Press Trust of India)
Srinagar received season's first snowfall today. After long dry spell, snowfall started in Srinagar and other parts of the Kashmir valley this morning.
But snow brought with it troubles for commuters as traffic along the Srinagar-Jammu national highway was affected, many flights too were cancelled. The state administration has issued avalanche warning in higher reaches of the Valley and people have been advised not to venture out in avalanche prone areas.
The fresh snowfall comes a day after 'Chillai-Kalan', the 40-day period of harshest winter ended. The weather department has predicted heavy snowfall during next three days.
The snowfall started in the morning, a MeT department official said, adding that the minimum temperature appreciated by nearly three degrees from yesterday's minus 2.9 degrees Celsius to settle at minus 0.2 degree Celsius because of cloudy sky.
He said Kupwara received the highest snowfall of about five inches during the night and the mercury there settled at a low of minus 0.1 degree Celsius.
Pahalgam hill resort which also serves as the base camp during the annual Amarnath yatra, recorded a jump of over three degrees in the mercury from the previous night's low of minus 6.8 degrees Celsius to minus 3.4 degrees Celsius, the spokesman said.
Kargil in Ladakh region was the coldest place in the state as night temperature settled at a low of minus 14.0 degrees Celsius, as against minus 16.6 degrees Celsius the previous night. Leh registered a low of minus 11.6 degrees Celsius as compared to yesterday's minus 15.2 degrees Celsius.