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| Weather improves after snow, rain in Kashmir | | | Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Nov 16: Weather witnessed improvement on Monday in the Kashmir valley, where upper heights, including world famous ski resort of Gulmarg, recorded light to moderate snowfall while plains had intermittent rain since Saturday, affecting traffic movement on highways and other roads.
A Met department spokesman said today that there could be scattered light rain or snow and thundershowers over Kashmir valley and Jammu and Gilgit and Baltistan in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) during the next 24 hours. There is possibility of isolated rain or snow over Ladakh region, he said adding however, the weather will remain dry during the subsequent 48 hours.
Due to cloudy and wet weather, the night temperature witnessed drop while the maximum temperature was about two degree to 13 degree below normal in the valley.
The famed ski resort of Gulmarg, about 55 km from here in north Kashmir, had turned white due to intermittent snowfall from Saturday. This morning there was fresh snowfall, a hotel owner said over phone from Gulmarg, where world class ski slopes are under several inches of white powder. However, the upper reaches, including Seven Springs, Khilanmarg and Affarwat, the highest skiing point connected by Cable Car from base camp, received moderate to heavy snowfall. Though the minimum temperature was above normal, the maximum temperature at Gulmarg was 0.5 degree, which was 9.1 degree below normal yesterday. However, the famed ski resort still awaits tourists, skiers and adventure lovers though authorities are making all out efforts to revive the tourist industry badly affected first after August 5 last year, when centre abrogated special status of Jammu and Kashmir and this year due to COVID-19 pandemic. The authorities have lifted the ban on tourists besides operated Gandola Cable Car (GCC) to lift the tourists from base camp to Affarwat top.
Snowfall and rain forced closure of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway and historic Mughal road, which connects Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region.
The holy Amarnath cave shrine and its periphery besides Panjterni, Sheshnag, Mahaguns, Pisso top and Chandanwari, the last motorable halting station on traditional yatra route received moderate to heavy snowfall. Tree and roof tops besides open fields turned white in Pahalgam, the famed health resort in south Kashmir, about 100 km from here. The other upper reaches in south Kashmir, including in Shopian, Anantnag and Pulwama also received snowfall while plains had rain since Saturday. The maximum temperature at Pahalgam yesterday was 8 degree, which was 5.2 degree below normal.
In the central Kashmir tourist resort of Sonamarg on Srinagar-Leh national highway, which is closed since Saturday, also received fresh snowfall. However, the authorities said snow clearance operation has been completed till Sonamarg. Upper reaches in Ganderbal and Kangan also received moderate snowfall while plains had rain and light snow. Baltal, base camp of Amarnath yatra, also received moderate snowfall.
Reports of snowfall were also received from upper reaches in central Kashmir district of Badgam.
Due to icy cold winds and intermittent rain, the maximum temperature at summer capital, Srinagar, recorded 7 degree yesterday which was 8.7 degree below normal. However, this morning there was rain in Srinagar which was followed by improvement in weather after sun appeared from behind the clouds. Though the sun was playing hide and seek, weather turned pleasant, much to the delight of people who were seen basking in the open.
Met spokesman said the sky would be partly cloudy to mainly clear sky in Srinagar during the next 24 hours when the maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 14 degree and one degree respectively. |
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