Winter Is Coming! Early Snowfall Sets Alarm Bells Ringing

Gulmarg Records Season’s Coldest Night At Minus 2 Deg Celsius

Srinagar- Snowfall in higher reaches of Kashmir, including popular tourist destinations like Gulmarg and Sonamarg, and rains in plains brought wintry conditions earlier than usual in the valley, officials said on Thursday.

“There was significant snowfall in many areas of Kashmir including Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Gurez, and Karnah during the intervening night,” the officials said.

The officials said more than two inches of snow had accumulated in the Gulmarg bowl while the snowfall was heavier in higher reaches of the valley. The ski resort also recorded the season’s lowest temperature at minus 2 degree celsius.

They said even the Zabarwan mountain range in the city had received traces of snowfall during the night.

Srinagar city and other areas of the valley received moderate rainfall since the early hours of Thursday, bringing down the temperature by several degrees.

People have slipped into winter wear like sweaters and heavy jackets earlier than usual.

The early snowfall has brought cheer to the faces of tourists who have arrived here to escape the pollution caused by Diwali crackers elsewhere in the country.

“We had come to enjoy the autumn hues of Kashmir while escaping the pollution caused by firecrackers back home. This snowfall is an unexpected bonus for us,” S Arvind, a resident of Hyderabad said.

Shoaib Ali, a travel agent, said the reports of snowfall have led to renewed interest in Kashmir’s winter tourism this year.

“The first snowfall in the mountains was on Tuesday and I had a busy day attending to calls from regular clients on Wednesday about winter packages. Hopefully, there will be good snowfall this winter to sustain winter tourism,” Ali said.

However, apple farmers in south Kashmir are worried a lot as heavy snowfall before December will not only destroy the crop this year but cause damage to trees.

“We have had early snowfall now for three years in a row. I hope it was just a passing event as a heavy snowfall at this time will damage the trees which are still full of fruit,” Bashir Ahmad, an apple farmer from Shopian, said.

He said while early harvesting this year has ensured against any major loss, 20 percent of the crop was still on the trees.

The weatherman has forecast a dry week in the Union Territory.

“From tomorrow the weather will remain pleasant till the end of October as there is no major disturbance in the weather system,” Deputy Director Meteorological department, Srinagar, Mukhtar Ahmad said.

He also said that farmers who have done their harvest should store it safely and they should not panic as there is no prediction of any major rain or snowfall for the next 10 days. (With agency inputs)

Mughal Road Closed Due To Heavy Snowfall

Heavy snowfall in the high-altitude areas of Jammu on Thursday forced the closure of Mughal Road which connects the twin border districts of Poonch and Rajouri with south Kashmir’s Shopian, officials said here.

Several areas of Doda, Kishtwar, Rajouri, Reasi, Poonch, Ramban and Kathua districts witnessed heavy snowfall since Wednesday night.

“Mughal Road has been closed for vehicular traffic due to heavy snowfall,” Deputy Superintendent of Police, Traffic (Rajouri-Poonch Range), Aftab Bukhari told PTI.

The road surface has become slippery due to the sharp drop in temperatures, the officials said.

On October 18 as well, the road remained closed for a day due to snowfall and nearly 100 passengers stranded due to the suspension of traffic were rescued on Wednesday.

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