At -9.5°C, Gulmarg coldest in state

inagar, December 13

The higher reaches of J&K received fresh snowfall on Thursday, while the plains witnessed intermittent rains as the minimum temperature settled below the freezing point at most places in the Valley and the Ladakh region.

Snowfall has been recorded in the higher areas of the Valley, including Qazigund, Kokernag, Pahalgam and Mughal Road during night, MeT officials said.

There are reports of snowfall in other areas in the higher reaches of the Valley and the Jammu region as well, including near the Jawahar Tunnel on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, they added.

However, the plains in the Valley, including Srinagar, received intermittent rains overnight, which continued on Thursday morning in some areas, the officials said.

The snowfall and rains have led to the closure of traffic on vital roads, including the Srinagar-Jammu national highway. The nearly 300-km-long highway was closed for traffic on Wednesday following the accumulation of snow on both sides of the Jawahar Tunnel, an official of the traffic control room said.

He said subject to fair weather and clearance of the road, the vehicles stranded on Wednesday would be cleared first on Thursday.

Mughal Road, which is an alternate route connecting the Valley with the Jammu region, also remained closed for traffic due to snowfall.

The Srinagar-Leh national highway, connecting the Valley with the Ladakh region, is also closed for traffic due to snow accumulation at Zojila.

Meanwhile, the Valley and Ladakh region, except Srinagar, witnessed sub-zero night temperature on Wednesday night. Srinagar city recorded a low of 0.1°C on Wednesday night, compared to 0.2°C on Tuesday night, the MeT officials added. They said Qazigund — the gateway town to the Valley — recorded a low of -0.2°C, while the nearby Kokernag town recorded a low of -1.2°C.

Gulmarg, the famous skiing resort in north Kashmir, saw the mercury dipping to a minimum of -9.5°C on Wednesday night, the coldest in the state.

Leh town in the Ladakh region recorded a minimum temperature of -8.9°C, while the mercury in the nearby Kargil town settled at a low of -9.3°C, the officials said.

The MeT office has said the weather was likely to improve from Thursday onwards and would stay mainly dry over the next few days. — PTI