Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Nov 21: The higher reaches of Kashmir received the season’s first snowfall today, as the overcast sky led to increase in the minimum temperature across the Valley which provided respite from cold conditions.
There are reports of mild snowfall in some of the higher reaches of the Valley, marking the season’s first snowfall.
Snowfall was experienced at world famous tourist resort of Sonamarg on 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh National Highway, the only road linking the Ladakh region with Kashmir.
The upper reaches of Zojila, Meenmarg and other places also had snowfall since this morning. However, despite snowfall, the Srinagar-Leh highway was open for traffic and as precautionary measure no night traffic is allowed on the road due to slippery road conditions.
They said the snowfall was experienced in the morning hours today and the overcast sky provided relief to the people from the cold conditions as it led to increase in the night temperatures but plains of Kashmir valley were under the thick blanket of fog disrupting air traffic.
The flight operations at Srinagar Airport were hit by poor visibility for fifth consecutive day today, forcing the Airport Authority of India to cancel all the flights.
A senior official told Excelsior that due to poor visibility no flight landed or took off from Srinagar Airport today. He said that all 17 flights at Srinagar airport were cancelled today due to poor visibility.
This is for the fifth consecutive day that the air traffic was disrupted at Srinagar airport. On Thursday around a dozen afternoon flights were cancelled due to poor visibility, on Friday no flight landed at Srinagar airport, on Saturday only two flights managed to operate and on Sunday all flights were cancelled.
The fog and cloud cover led to dip in the temperatures across Kashmir today. A Meteorological Department official said that Srinagar recorded 11.6 degree Celsius while normal day temperature for this time off the year is 15 degree Celsius, Qazigund recorded 14.1 degree Celsius, Pahalgam 11.4 degree Celsius, Kupwara 14.6 degree Celsius, Kokernag 15.1 degree Celsius, Gulmarg 7. 4 degree Celsius, Leh 13. 2 degree Celsius and Kargil 9.8 degree Celsius.
The minimum temperature in Srinagar increased by nearly four degrees from the previous night’s low of minus 0.9 degree Celsius to settle above the freezing point at 2.8 degree Celsius.
He said Kokernag and Gulmarg were the other places in the Valley where the night temperatures stayed above the freezing point. While Kokernag town in South Kashmir registered a low of 2.8 degree Celsius against yesterday’s 1.8 degree Celsius, the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir registered a low of 2 degree Celsius against the previous night’s minus 1.5 degree Celsius.
Pahalgam in South Kashmir recorded the minimum of minus 2.2 degree Celsius as compared to minus 3.5 degree Celsius yesterday. Kupwara, in North Kashmir, registered the minimum of minus 0.5 degree Celsius compared to the previous night’s minus 1.8 degree Celsius.
The minimum temperature in Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir valley, was minus 1 degree Celsius slightly up from minus 1.6 degree Celsius on the previous night.
The night temperature in Leh town, in Ladakh region, settled at a low of minus 3.8 degree Celsius same as that of the previous night. The nearby Kargil town recorded the minimum of minus 3.5 degrees Celsius.
The night temperature at Jammu city was recorded at 14.2 degree Celsius while it was 13.5 degree Celsius in Katra town, 10.1 degree Celsius in Batote, 6.5 degree Celsius in Banihal and 6.5 degree Celsius in Bhaderwah town.
The day temperature in Jammu city was recorded at 25.7 degree Celsius, while it was 21.1 degree Celsius in Katra town, 17.2 degree Celsius in Batote, 17 degree Celsius in Banihal and 18 degree Celsius in Bhaderwah town.
The Meteorological Department has forecast light rain or snow at isolated places over the State over the next 24 hours.
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