JT axis, Patnitop receive light snow
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR/ JAMMU, Dec 26: The hilly areas across Jammu and Kashmir today received light snowfall while most of the areas in the Union Territory had intermittent rains with Weatherman forecasting snow in the plains during night and tomorrow.
A Meteorological Department official said that weather is most likely to remain partly to generally cloudy with chances of light snow at isolated places in Jammu and Kashmir. He added that light to moderate snowfall is expected at scattered to fairly widespread places during 26 (night) to 28th (morning). He said the intensity of the snowfall and rains would be more on Monday but there is no forecast of heavy snowfall.
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Gulmarg and other hilly areas had 6-10 inches of snowfall and it was snowing in the hills and raining in the plains till late night. The minimum temperature settled below freezing point in Kashmir and Ladakh.
With fresh snowfall in the hilly areas of Poonch, Rajouri, Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar, there has been sharp fall in temperature in the region while light rain continued in most of the districts since noon. In Ramban sector also the drizzle continued since this afternoon but the movement of vehicles on Jammu -Srinagar National Highway continued.
A senior Traffic Police official said that there was light snowfall at Jawahar Tunnel and Patnitop areas besides Pir Ki Gali and Poshana area on Mughal Road. There was no scope of reopening of Mughal Road in next couple of days due to heavy snowfall at Pir Pass. He said that Kud-Patnitop and Batote axis was also operational despite light rain and snowfall this evening. The surrounding hills at Bhaderwah town were also experiencing snowfall this evening, he added.
The chopper service at Mata Vaishnodevi from base camp Katra also remained operational despite light rain during the day but was affected in the evening for some time due to bad weather. It was cloudy day in most parts of Jammu today while intermittent rain hit the normal life.
A MeT official said that Srinagar recorded a low of minus 1.8 degree Celsius against last night’s 1.7 degree Celsius.
Kashmir is presently under the grip of 40-day long harshest period of winter, known locally as ‘Chillai Kalan, which started from December 21. It is followed by a 20-day long ‘Chillai Khurd’ and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai Bachha’.
The mercury settled at minus 7.5 degree Celsius against minus 6.5 degree Celsius previous night at Gulmarg. It was minus 1.7 degree Celsius below normal for the resort.
Qazigund had a low of minus 1.2 degree Celsius against 2.2 degree Celsius the previous night.
Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 3.8 degree Celsius against minus 5.1 degree Celsius the previous night.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 0.3 degree Celsius against 1.0 degree Celsius the previous night.
Kupwara recorded a minimum of minus 1.5 degree Celsius against minus 0.8 degree Celsius the previous night.
Leh had a low of minus 10.4 degree Celsius against last night’s minus 10.4 degree Celsius while Kargil recorded minimum of minus 9.2 degree Celsius. Drass recorded a low of minus 9.2 degree Celsius.
Jammu recorded a minimum temperature of 8.8 degree Celsius which was about 6 degrees below normal this morning. Katra township recorded a minimum temperature of 7.7 degree C, Tourist resort Bhaderwah a minimum temperature of 1.8 degree C, five degrees below normal, Batote 2.6 degree C while Banihal town recorded a minimum temperature of 1.0 degree Celsius today.
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