Fresh snowfall in higher reaches of Kashmir

Srinagar: Higher reaches of Kashmir received fresh snowfall on Monday while some areas in plains received intermittent rains, forcing the closure of several vital road-links including the Srinagar-Leh National Highway.

The overcast conditions led to rise in the minimum temperature in the valley. Fresh snowfall has been recorded in Gulmarg – the famous ski-resort in north Kashmir's Baramulla district, a MET department official said. He said the resort recorded around three inches of snowfall.

The official said there are reports of snowfall in other areas in the higher reaches of the valley like Zojila Pass and Minimarg on the Srinagar-Leh Highway, Gurez and Mughal Road. He said some areas in the plains received rains. The snowfall and rains have forced the closure of 434-km Srinagar-Leh National Highway, Mughal Road – an alternate road-link connecting valley with Jammu region of the state and Bandipora-Gurez Road in north Kashmir, an official at the Traffic Control Room here said. He, however, said the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway was through for traffic. The Meteorological Department said the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir are most likely to receive moderate to heavy rain or snow over the two days.

Meanwhile, the mercury at most places in Kashmir division increased on Sunday night owing to a cloud cover. The mercury settled above the freezing point across the valley, except at Gulmarg, on Sunday night providing relief to the residents. The MET Department official said the night temperature in Srinagar city, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir settled at a low of 2.4 degree Celsius on Sunday night – up nearly three degrees from the previous night's minus 0.4 degree Celsius. He said Pahalgam health resort, which serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath yatra in south Kashmir, registered a low of 0.3 degrees Celsius, while Gulmarg recorded a minimum of minus 6 degrees Celsius. Gulmarg was the coldest recorded place in the valley.

Kokernag in south Kashmir recorded a low of 1.6 degrees Celsius, while the mercury in nearby Qazigund settled at 2.2 degrees Celsius. The mercury in Kupwara, in north Kashmir, settled at a low of 0.8 degrees Celsius. Leh town in Ladakh region recorded a minimum temperature of minus 7.4 degrees Celsius, the official said. He said the mercury in the nearby Kargil town settled at a low of minus 8.7 degrees Celsius. Kargil was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir.