The weather improved across Kashmir on Sunday after overnight snowfall over higher reaches in the Himalayan valley, said officials of meteorological department (MeT).
Officials said the Mughal road, which connects Kashmir with Jammu division’s Rajouri and Poonch districts, was closed on Saturday after snowfall, and it was yet to be opened for traffic. “The snow clearance work is still going on the Mughal road,” said a traffic official.
The Gulmarg meadow was covered with a white blanket of snow after a western disturbance brought precipitation to the Kashmir Mountains on Saturday evening and during the night. The snowfall was also observed in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
“In the past 24 hours, light snow was received over higher reaches in Gulmarg, Gurez, Machil, Tangdhar, Mughal Road and Sinthan Pass,” said MeT director Mukhtar Ahmad, in an update at 1.20 pm.
He said from December 17 to 22, the weather will remain generally dry. “On December 23, generally cloudy weather with possibility of light snow over isolated higher reaches is expected,” he said. “Overall no significant weather activity till December 28,” he informed.
The official also expected a fall in minimum temperatures by 2-4°C, December 18 onwards.
During the night, the cold weather conditions improved in all the weather stations except in the ski resort of Gulmarg where the mercury dropped to -6.0°C.
{{/usCountry}}During the night, the cold weather conditions improved in all the weather stations except in the ski resort of Gulmarg where the mercury dropped to -6.0°C.
{{/usCountry}}The minimum temperature in Kashmir capital Srinagar was recorded at -0.5°C.
The minimum temperature in the southern tourist resort of Pahalgam was recorded at -1.5°C followed by Konibal at -2.0°C.
The MeT update further said that the gateway to Kashmir in South Kashmir, Qazigund recorded a minimum of 0°C.
The southern area of Kokernag observed a minimum of -0.8°C while in North Kashmir, Kupwara recorded a low of 1.1°C.
In the Jammu division, Jammu city recorded a minimum of 7.1°C while Banihal observed the lowest of -0.2°C and Bhaderwah 0.4°C.
Chilai Kalan, Kashmir’s harshest 40-day winter period, starts December 21 and is expected to witness bone-chilling temperatures and heavy snowfall.
Kashmir gets 70% of its precipitation through Western Disturbances – moisture-laden winds from the Mediterranean – with normally December, January and February as snow months and March and April (receiving above 100 mm each) as the wettest rain months.