The minimum temperatures dipped on Friday across Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh with fresh snowfall and rains.
Jammu and Kashmir’s Sonamarg tourist resort recorded light snowfall for the second day on Friday while the meteorological department forecast significant improvement in weather across the Union Territory, officials said.
The three-week dry spell in Kashmir ended on Thursday with snowfall in the higher reaches of the Valley and rains in the plains.
In Himachal, Sissu, Gondla, Koksar, and Keylong recorded 20 cm, 15 cm, 10 cm, and 8 cm of fresh snowfall, respectively. High-altitude passes, such as Rohtang, Kunzum, Pin-Parvati and the Dhauladhar and Churdhar mountain ranges received substantial snow, ranging from 20 cm to 30 cm.
While snowfall was recorded in Gulmarg in north Kashmir, Sonamarg in central Kashmir, and other areas in the middle and higher reaches on Thursday, light snowfall continued in Sonamarg, in Ganderbal district, on Friday morning as well, the officials said.
The Met office said several places experienced partly to generally cloudy weather with light snow over Sonamarg and adjoining areas.
From December 2 to 7, the weather would remain partly cloudy in J&K, while from December 8 to 10, it would be partly to generally cloudy, the officials said.There would be a fall in the minimum temperature by three to five degrees, they said. The night temperature rose significantly at several places in the Valley with Gulmarg being the only weather station where the mercury settled below the freezing point on Thursday night.
{{/usCountry}}From December 2 to 7, the weather would remain partly cloudy in J&K, while from December 8 to 10, it would be partly to generally cloudy, the officials said.There would be a fall in the minimum temperature by three to five degrees, they said. The night temperature rose significantly at several places in the Valley with Gulmarg being the only weather station where the mercury settled below the freezing point on Thursday night.
{{/usCountry}}The minimum temperature in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, was 4.5°C while Qazigund recorded a low of 2.2°C.
Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district recorded a low of 0.5°C and the mercury in Gulmarg settled at minus 1.8°C.
Himachal’s capital Shimla recorded intermittent heavy rains and hailstorms, prompting residents to seek shelter indoors. Raipur Maidan in Bilaspur district was the wettest with 32mm rainfall, closely followed by Dalhousie with 26 mm.
Blockades on Manali-Leh highway
The Manali-Leah Highway faced blockades due to heavy snow at Rohtang and Kunzum passes. Vehicular movement from Solang Nullah to Atal Tunnel and on Jalori road has been halted, confirmed Lahaul and Spiti police.
Sumdo and Kalpa recorded chilling lows of minus 1.2°C and minus 1, respectively.
Meteorological department’s Shimla centre forecast more rains and snow.
Low danger avalanche warning in Kupwara
A low danger avalanche warning has been issued in Kupwara district, officials said on Friday. “Avalanche with low danger level is likely to occur above 2,800 metres above sea level over Kupwara district, in north Kashmir, in the next 24 hours,” an official said.
People living in these areas are advised to take precautions and avoid venturing in the avalanche-prone areas till further orders, the officials said.
With agency inputs