Srinagar: Upper reaches of the Kashmir Valley including ski resort of Gulmarg experienced season’s first snowfall as the plains were lashed by rains resulting in considerable drop in temperature on Thursday.
Meteorological Department Srinagar forecast light to moderate rain, snowfall over higher reaches very likely to continue at most places of Kashmir and at a few places of Jammu till late afternoon Thursday.
The weather will gradually improve thereafter and there is no forecast of any major snowfall in J&K and Ladakh from October 21 to 30, the MeT office said.
The historical Mughal road connecting South Kashmir’s Shopian district with the twin district of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region was closed for vehicular traffic following the snowfall, officials said.
Men and machines have been pressed into service to clear the accumulated 2-inchesof snow from the Pir Ki Gali on the Mughal road to make it traffic worthy.
Moderate snowfall at Sadhna Top connecting the border town of Tangdhar and other far flung and remote areas of Kupwara and Gurez was also closed as about four inches of snowfall accumulated there.
The authorities have issued an advisory for the people in view of widespread rains, snowfall and bad weather conditions that led the closure of Sinthan pass and Margan pass in south Kashmir not to venture in landslide and shooting stone prone areas.
Traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu National highway though was through despite rainfall at several places.
Gulmarg received the season’s first snowfall on Thursday much to the delight of the tourists staying there. More than 2 inches of snow have accumulated and it is still snowing in Gulmarg at the time of this report.
The minimum temperature in Gulmarg was recorded at minus 2 degrees Celsius on Thursday against the minus 0.4 degree Celsius on the previous night.
Zabarwan hills in capital Srinagar also received the season’s first snowfall on Thursday while plains were lashed by rains resulting in considerable drop in temperature.
Srinagar also received 13.8mm of rainfall during the last 24 hours till 8.30 am. Tourists staying in the Houseboats in Dal Lake and in hotels on the bank of Boulevard road were seen wearing warm clothes and headgears.
Reports of rainfall were also received from the tourist resorts of Pahalgam, Qazigund on Srinagar-Jammu national Highway and Kokernag.
