Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Jan 5: After extreme cold weather conditions with night temperature in Srinagar plummeting to minus 4.2 degree Celsius, Kashmir valley today experienced fresh snowfall. However, Jammu-Srinagar National Highway is open for traffic.
IGP Traffic, Muneer Ahmad Khan, told Excelsior that it was snowing in Banihal and Patnitop areas of the National Highway this evening but movement of the traffic was on. He said that around 3500 passenger and load carriers crossed into Kashmir valley today.
He said that 500 metres of Highway at Chenani that was washed away two days back has been restored but the movement of the traffic on this stretch of the Highway is very slow leading to traffic jams. He said that if weather permits all types of vehicles will move from Srinagar to Jammu tomorrow.
Kashmir valley witnessed fresh snowfall this afternoon with few inches of snow accumulating across Kashmir. The hills, including several places on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, experienced few inches of fresh snowfall.
Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Kokernag, Yusmarg and Sonamarg also experienced few inches of fresh snowfall hampering movement of the traffic. The traffic in most of these places was moving at snail’s pace due to slippery roads.
The Meteorological Department has forecast, light snowfall at isolated places in Kashmir. A MET official said that the minimum and maximum temperatures in Kashmir will remain below normal during the next 24 hours.
“There will be no large change in the weather condition in next two days”, the official said.
The official said that in Srinagar, the sky will remain generally cloudy tomorrow with maximum temperature hovering around three degree Celsius, four degrees below normal and minimum minus four degree, one degree below normal.
Today Kashmir valley was in the grip of cold wave with minimum temperatures remaining below freezing point.
The MET Department official said that Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 4.2 degree Celsius, over two degrees below from the previous night’s minus 1.6 degree Celsius while maximum temperature was recorded at 2 degree Celsius.
The minimum temperature in Pahalgam, in South Kashmir, went over four degrees down from the previous night’s minus 7.7 degree Celsius and settled at minus 12.4 degree Celsius last night. The maximum day temperature at Pahalgam was 2.2 degree Celsius.
The official said that Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 9.8 degree Celsius, as against the previous night’s minus 11.6 degree Celsius and maximum day temperature settled at minus one degree Celsius.
The minimum temperature in Qazigund decreased by over four degrees to settle at minus 8.0 degree Celsius, compared to minus 3.8 degree Celsius the previous night. The maximum day temperature at Qazigund settled at 1.7 degree Celsius.
Kokernag, in South, recorded a low of minus 10.6 degree Celsius, down by over four degrees from minus 6.3 degree Celsius the previous night and maximum day temperature settled at Zero degree Celsius.
The minimum in Kupwara, in North Kashmir, settled at minus 2.8 degree Celsius compared to the previous night’s minus 0.8 degree Celsius. The maximum day temperature at Kupwara settled at 2 degree Celsius.
Leh recorded a low of minus 8.6 degree Celsius against the previous night’s minus 14.7 degree Celsius. Kargil settled at a low of minus 16.1 degree Celsius, over three degrees down from minus 13.0 degree Celsius the previous night.
The minimum temperature at Jammu settled at 5.6 degree Celsius and maximum day temperature settled at 19.1 degree Celsius.
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