Jammu-Srinagar highway opened for one-way traffic after three days

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, January 19

As the weather improved slightly across Kashmir today, the Jammu-Srinagar national highway was opened to one-way traffic after remaining closed for three days due to snow and rains in the region.

The forecast by the weather depaetment for the next 24 hours is that the sky would remain generally cloudy in Kashmir, mainly clear in Jammu and partly cloudy in the Ladakh regions. The maximum temperature in Srinagar was recorded at 6.4 °C today and the minimum at -3.3 °C. The tourist resort of Pahalgam was the coldest at a minimum of -12.4 °C and maximum of 3.6 °C. Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded the maximum temperature at 4 °C and the minimum at -12 °C.

From January 22 to 27, the weather forecast has predicted more rains and snow all over the state.

The 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway was closed on Monday following snowfall in the Kashmir region with accumulation of heavy snow at the Jawahar Tunnel, Banihal and Patnitop areas. Only stranded vehicles were allowed to move after some respite in the weather conditions on Wednesday. Traffic department officials here said a decision to allow the movement of traffic tomorrow from Srinagar to Jammu would be taken after reviewing the weather and road conditions.

Light rain and snow were witnessed in different parts of the Valley last night, which, however, did not affect the overall weather conditions.

The Kashmir valley has been witnessing severe cold after heavy snowfall in the upper reaches and moderate snow in the plains since the first week of this month, at the peak of ‘Chillai kalan’, the harsh period of winter that begins on December 21 every year.