SRINAGAR, Dec 27: The valley of Kashmir, including Srinagar and its surrounding plains, experienced its first snowfall of the season, breaking a prolonged dry spell, according to officials.
Snowfall reports also came in from various areas including Doda, Ramban, and Kishtwar, while rain affected the plains of Jammu district.
The snowfall has led to the closure of several important roads, such as the historic Mughal road linking Shopian district of south Kashmir with the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri, the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road leading to Ladakh, as well as the Sinthan-Kishtwar and Kokernag-Marwa-Warwan roads, due to snow accumulation.
The first snowfall of the season in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, brought joy to residents and tourists alike.
Tourists were spotted relishing the snowfall along the picturesque Boulevard road next to Dal Lake, capturing unforgettable moments against the backdrop of luxurious houseboats.
Many lower regions in south Kashmir, including Bijbehara, Shopian, Kulgam, parts of Pulwama and Qazigund, and Baramulla recorded the season’s first snowfall on Friday.
“Current observations and future forecasts suggest significant snowfall at higher altitudes could reach between 12 and 18 inches,” stated Faizan Arif, an independent weather expert, to UNI.
He added that some plains in South Kashmir could also see substantial snowfall. “Conversely, the intensity of the system for the central and northern Kashmir plains remains uncertain, complicating predictions for snowfall amounts or depth,” he remarked.
This weather system is projected to stay active until tomorrow afternoon.
After that, the weather is expected to remain dry until December 31, with another light snowfall forecasted for isolated to scattered areas between January 1 and 4.
The bone-chilling cold persists in Srinagar and other regions of the Kashmir valley, with night temperatures continuing to drop at various weather stations on Friday.
The minimum temperature recorded during the night of Thursday and Friday in Srinagar dropped to -7.3°C, down from -7.0°C on Thursday, which is 4.9°C below the typical average for this time of year.
The ongoing cold wave and freezing temperatures have led to the freezing of taps and several water bodies, including the iconic Dal Lake, causing trouble for residents.
There was a slight increase in the minimum temperature at Pahalgam, a tourist spot, which recorded -8.0°C on Friday, compared to -8.6°C the day before, marking 3.4°C below the normal for this time.
Qazigund recorded a slight rise at -6.9°C from -7.0°C the night prior, which was still 4.5°C below average for the area along the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.
The picnic destination of Kokernag also saw a temperature increase, reaching -4.8°C on Friday up from -5.5°C a day earlier, which is 2.6°C below the average for the region.
The ski resort of Gulmarg reported -6.0°C, an improvement from -6.6°C on Thursday, remaining normal for this time in the valley located in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
The minimum temperature in the frontier district of Kupwara showed improvement, recorded at -6.4°C on Friday, a rise from -6.7°C on Thursday, yet still 3.4°C below normal for this season, as per the MeT office.
