SRINAGAR Most parts of Kashmir, including the plains, received fresh snowfall Friday which led to closure of the Srinagar-Jammu highway, the only all-weather road-link connecting the valley with the rest of the world.
The MeT Office has forecast intermittent light precipitation for the next 24 hours.
Kashmir, including plains of the valley, received fresh snowfall Thursday night which continued till Friday morning, an official of the Meteorological Department here said.
He said Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded 5.6 mm of snowfall till 8:30 am Friday.
Pahalgam health resort, which also serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath yatra, received 11.4 mm of snow, while the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg recorded 3.4 mm of snow.
The official said while the plains of the valley received light snowfall, there are reports of moderate snowfall in the higher reaches of the state.
The fresh snowfall led to closure of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the valley’s all weather road link connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country.
“Traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway was suspended this morning due to snowfall and slippery conditions,” an official of the Traffic Control Room here said.
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Meanwhile, a traffic official said that subject to fair weather and road condition, traffic movement on Srinagar-Jammu highway would from Jammu towards Srinagar for both LMVs and HMVs on the highway.
However, the flight operations at the Srinagar airport here took place normally, an official at the airport said.
Meanwhile, the MeT official said Srinagar, the summer capital of the state, recorded a maximum of 5.4 degree Celsius, one degree below normal for this time of the year, a meteorological department official said.
He said night temperature also slightly dropped and settled at minus1.0 degree Celsius in the capital city last night.
The official said Qazigund the gateway town to the Valley recorded a maximum of 3.6 degrees Celsius (below 3 degrees from normal) and low of minus 1.2 degrees Celsius, while the nearby Kokernag registered a low of minus 2.2 and maximum of 1.7 degrees Celsius.
The night temperature in Pahalgam, also in south Kashmir, settled at a low of minus 3.0 degrees Celsius while it had a maximum of 3.2 degrees Celsius, the official said.
The ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded the minimum temperature of minus 7.5 degrees Celsius while as day temperature dropped to minus 1.5 degrees Celsius, he said.
Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 0.6 degrees Celsius while it had a maximum of 2.9 degrees Celsius, he said.
Kashmir is currently under the grip of ‘Chillai-Kalan’ the 40-day harshest period of winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum and the temperature drops considerably.
‘Chillai-Kalan’ ends on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that in Kashmir.
The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold).
Regarding the forecast for the next 24 hours, the weatherman said that there was the possibility of fairly widespread to widespread rain/snow.
Fresh Avalanche Warning Issued In 9 Districts
Srinagar: In view of the inclement weather and snow prediction, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan, today issued fresh avalanche warning for nine avalanche prone districts of Kashmir Division.
The warning has been issued for the avalanche prone areas in district Anantnag, Kulgam, Budgam, Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Kargil and Leh.
The Divisional Commissioner has directed the Deputy Commissioners of all these districts to advise people living in avalanche prone areas not to venture out to avoid loss of lives.
Besides, they have been directed to take all the precautionary measures and to keep the SDRF, Police and Para-medical staff with ambulances in readiness to avert any untoward incident.
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