Valley likely to receive snow from tomorrow

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, February 3

The Kashmir valley is likely to receive its ninth snow spell from Tuesday. The meteorological department has said the wet spell will last till Friday.

Sonam Lotus, director of the Srinagar Meteorological Centre, said the wet spell in the Kashmir valley was likely to begin on Tuesday. He said the spell of rain in the plains and snow on the higher reaches of Kashmir, Jammu and the hilly areas of the Ladakh region would continue from Tuesday to Friday.

Lotus said the precipitation would increase on Wednesday and Thursday. The official said there was a likelihood of “heavy rain and snow” in south Kashmir and the Ramban-Banihal stretch on Wednesday and Thursday. This winter has seen an extraordinarily high number of wet phases. The Valley witnessed its first snowfall in November last year, marking an early winter.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department, 14 of the 22 districts — most of them in the Kashmir valley — have recorded excess and large excess precipitation in the past month. In the past month, the state has received 135.2 mm of rain and snow, which is 47 per cent higher than the average 92.2 mm.