| Gulmarg, other upper reaches receive fresh snow, rain lashes plains in Kashmir | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Mar 10: World famous ski resort of Gulmarg and other upper reaches received fresh snowfall while rain lashed plains since early this morning in the summer capital, Srinagar, and other parts of Kashmir valley, resulting in further dip in the day temperature.
However, the night temperature remained above normal due to overcast conditions across the valley, where weather woes are expected to continue during the next five days. This is the second time this week so far that the valley received fresh snow and rain.
A Met department spokesperson told UNI that light to moderate rain and snow would occur during the next three days in Kashmir under the influence of a Western Disturbance (WD), which is active in the region.
He said a weather warning has also issued for upper reaches in the valley, where heavy rain, snow, thundershowers and hail storm occur during the next two days. “There will be a slight improvement on Saturday,” he said.
He said another WD, which originated from the Arabian Sea and is approaching the region though Afghanistan and Pakistan, will hit the region on Saturday evening. “Under the influence of this WD, light rain and snow would occur at many places in the valley,” he added.
Much to the delight of tourists, Gulmarg, which is already covered under several feet of snow, received fresh snowfall since early this morning, resulting in dip in the day temperature. Kongdori and Apharwat, the highest point of the cable car project in Gulmarg, also received light to moderate snowfall.
The ski resort was the only place in the valley where the night temperature settled below freezing point. Against minus 2 degree recorded on Tuesday, the mercury dipped and settled at minus 3 degree, which is slightly above normal. “Despite snow since early this morning, the tourists are out on ski slopes enjoying different activities,” a hotelier told UNI over the phone.
He said the ski resort, which is about 55 km from here in north Kashmir, witnessed a huge influx of tourists this winter season after zero business during the last two years. “Most of the hotels are booked to April end in Gulmarg,” he added.
After witnessing a dip of about a degree in the night temperature, people woke up to a chilly and rainy Wednesday morning in Srinagar. Against 5.2 degree recorded on Tuesday, the night temperature in the city dipped and settled at 4.3 degree, which is a degree above normal. The chilly continued throughout day due to rain till later afternoon and cloudy skies thereafter in the city, which witnessed huge traffic jams on most roads following moderate downpour. The city witnessed a considerable dip in the maximum temperature during the last couple of days due to wet weather, forcing people to once again wear sweaters and jackets.
World famous health resort of Pahalgam, about 100 km from here in south Kashmir, received rain early this morning, resulting in dip in the maximum temperature. The night temperature in the health resort dipped about 2 degree from Tuesday and settled 0.4 degree, which is about a degree above normal.
parts of the valley also received light to moderate rain since early this morning, resulting in dip in the maximum temperature. The mercury during the night at Qazigund, gateway to the valley, Kupwara in north Kashmir and tourist resort of Kokernag settled at 4.6 degree, 3.3 degree and 2.7 degree, respectively.
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