Snow in higher reaches, rains in plains of Kashmir bring down mercury
STATE TIMES NEWS
Srinagar: Higher reaches of Kashmir received fresh snowfall while the plains were hit by moderate rains in the early hours of Sunday, officials said here.
The minimum temperature in the Gulmarg tourist resort plunged to minus 3.6 degrees Celsius, they said.
Gulmarg tourist resort, Machil, Sadhna Pass and Zojila Pass were some of the places in the valley where more than three inches of snow had accumulated by 8.30 am on Sunday.
Drass in Ladakh union territory also received snowfall, the officials said.
They said most parts of Kashmir were hit by moderate rainfall overnight with Srinagar city receiving the highest amount of 27 mm. Baramulla (23 mm), Bandipora (22 mm), Kulgam and Budgam (21 mm each) and Pulwama (20 mm) also received substantial rainfall till 8.30 am.
The downpour has resulted in a dip in night temperature across the valley as Gulmarg was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir at minus 3.6 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature at the rest of the weather stations in the valley was above the freezing point, the officials said.
The meteorological department has forecast a five-day wet spell of weather in Kashmir ending on November 10.
Meanwhile, Mughal road, an alternate link connecting Kashmir with rest of the country, was closed for vehicular traffic as most of the high altitude area experienced light to moderate snowfall overnight, officials said.
However, the traffic on the strategic Srinagar-Jammu National Highway is moving normally despite rains which lashed wide parts of Jammu and Kashmir, they said.
More than five inches of snow accumulated on the ground between Poshana and Peer Ki Gali rendering the Mughal road, connecting the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu province with south Kashmir’s Shopian district, unsafe, officials said.
The weatherman has predicted inclement weather in Jammu and Kashmir with intermittent rains and snowfall till November 10 under the influence of western disturbance.
Mughal road usually remains closed for winter months owing to heavy snowfall in 11,433 feet high Peer Ki Gali. A traffic department official said the 270-km Jammu-Srinagar National Highway is open with no report of any disruption in the movement of vehicles which are plying from both sides.
Jammu city also witnessed high speed winds overnight along with a spell of heavy rains during the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday but there was no report of any damage, they said.
