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| Light to heavy snowfall in Kashmir, Srinagar turns white briefly | | |  EArly Times Report
Srinagar, Dec 29: Light to heavy snowfall was received on Tuesday in the Kashmir valley, where summer capital, Srinagar, turned white briefly this morning before improvement in the weather though the sky remained partly cloudy.
The minimum temperature was near normal due to cloudy sky, but the day becomes colder due to snowfall in the valley, where world-famous ski resort of Gulmarg was coldest at minus 7.5-degree minimum temperature.
Meanwhile, people in Ladakh region continued to freeze with border towns of Drass and Kargil coldest while Skardu and Gilgit across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan Occupied Kashmir (POK) recording minus 3.7 degree and minus 0.5-degree minimum temperature.
A Met department spokesman said today that there could be scattered light snow in the Kashmir valley and isolated in Jammu division, including Pirpanchal Range and Ladakh while the weather will remain mainly dry over Gilgit and Baltistan in POK.
Gulmarg, major tourist attraction received 5 inches of snowfall on Tuesday, when the minimum temperature was minus 7.5 degrees, coldest in the valley. Majority hotels are booked for New Year celebrations in Gulmarg, where about 1500 tourists from different parts of the country have visited so far. However, not a single foreign tourist has so far visited the famed ski resorts, where a number of ski courses and competitions are going on. Over 1600 local tourists have also visited Gulmarg as per official records.
A hotel owner told from Gulmarg that the upper heights, including Seven Springs, Khilanmarg and Affarwat, the highest skiing point connected from the base by Cable Car, received moderate to heavy snowfall since last night. Tangmarg received three inches of snowfall.
The other higher reaches in north Kashmir also received light to moderate snowfall since early this morning. About two inches of snowfall was recorded in Kupwara town after minus one-degree minimum temperature. However, areas near the LoC received moderate snowfall forcing authorities to suspend traffic on many routes.
Baramulla in north Kashmir also recorded two inches of snowfall this morning. However, hilly areas received moderate snowfall.
The famed health resort of Pahalgam also received fresh snowfall early this morning. The minimum temperature there was minus 3 degree. However, the upper heights, including holy Amarnath cave shrine in south Kashmir Himalayas and its periphery, Panjterni, Sheshnag, Mahaguns and Pisso top received moderate to heavy snowfall.
In south Kashmir Noorabad recorded 5 inches of snowfall, Kund 3 inches, Aharbal six inches, Kulgam two inches D K Marg six inches, Damhal Hanjipora 5 inches, Pulwama two inches, Shopian five inches, Sangerwani 6 inches and Rajpora 3 inches.
Snowfall was also recorded at historic Mughal road, which is closed for the past about three weeks due to accumulation of snow, officials said adding Herpora on the road received 7 inches.
In the central Kashmir, Badgam town received one inch, Khag 7 inches, Khansahib 2 inches and tourist resort of Yousmarg about one foot.
After recording 2.6 degree above normal maximum temperature due to sunny day on Monday, Srinagar witnessed a major change in the weather this morning. As people woke up this morning the sky was cloudy followed by snow.
Roof and treetops besides open fields and roads had turned white due to snowfall. However, the snow stopped after about an hour. The authorities had put in place snow clearance machines at different places to meet any challenge. The Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) has already directed its men to be alert to clear snow on footpaths and interior roads. Snow later melted with some improvement in the weather though the sky was still cloudy.
Met spokesman said the sky would be mainly clear and the maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 10 degrees and minus 4 degrees respectively in Srinagar during the next 24 hours.
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