Snowfall closes Kashmir highway, eases cold wave

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, January 16

Snowfall across the Kashmir valley today, the second spell within a month, forced the closure of 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu highway and eased the cold wave of recent days.

The snowfall began overnight and continued intermittently with a varying intensity across the Valley, including in Srinagar, the state’s summer capital.

The downpour forced the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu highway, a crucial supply route to the Valley, and stranded dozens of vehicles along the mountainous route.

Traffic Department officials said the rain and snowfall had caused landslides at various locations along the highway. The officials said the highway shall also remain closed for on Tuesday and only the stranded vehicles will be allowed to travel, if weather improves tomorrow.

The downpour also forced the shutdown of the Batote-Kishtwar highway.

The snowfall also led to cancellation of flights, which were scheduled to arrive in the morning at Srinagar International Airport, an official said. The official said nine flights operated as per the schedule in the afternoon.

According to an official of the Meteorological Department, heavy snowfall was received in most parts of south Kashmir with Qazigund, the gateway town to the Kashmir valley, recording 25.4 cm snowfall.

The latest spell of precipitation also relaxed the severe cold wave of the recent days in the region with mercury registering a significant increase and night temperature rising.

The minimum temperature in Srinagar city was recorded at minus 0.9°C, which was nearly six degrees warmer than the low of minus 6.8°C of the past week.

The Meteorological Department in its forecast bulletin said light to moderate rain and snowfall would occur at most places over the state during the next 24 hours.

The department said the wet spell was likely to continue over the next three days with scattered to fairly widespread rain and snowfall in the region.