Season’s first snowfall brings chill, cheer across Kashmir

The season’s first major snowfall in the mountains of the Kashmir Valley and heavy rainfall in the plains have brought a sharp change in weather, with temperatures dropping significantly across the region.

The snowfall at several tourist destinations has brought cheer to visitors, eager to experience the early onset of winter.

According to the Meteorological Department, the mercury dipped below the freezing point for the first time this season at the popular tourist resort of Gulmarg. Officials said that rain and snowfall began on Monday, with higher reaches and prominent tourist spots witnessing fresh snow. Light to moderate snowfall — ranging from 2 to 8 inches — was recorded over the higher reaches, while the plains experienced widespread rainfall.

A senior official from the MeT department said the weather is expected to improve in the coming days, with dry conditions likely to prevail across Jammu and Kashmir until October 20. At the ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the minimum temperature dropped to minus 0.4°C. The area also recorded 37.4 mm of rainfall over the past 24 hours.

The sudden dip in temperatures has prompted locals to bring out woollens earlier than usual.

“Yesterday the weather was so cold that we even started the hamam (a traditional wood-fueled heating system). We usually don’t use it before the end of November,” said a Srinagar resident.

“We are lucky to have seen the snow during our trip to Sonamarg,” said Sonam Singh, a tourist from Punjab.

According to officials, snowfall was also reported at the Razdan Pass, which connects Bandipora district with the remote Gurez Valley, as well as at Sadhna Pass, a key route linking Kupwara district to Tangdhar near the Line of Control.