SRINAGAR : The world famous ski resort of Gulmarg and other upper reaches in the Kashmir valley experienced fresh snowfall while plains, including summer capital, Srinagar, had rain resulting in considerable cold though the minimum temperature witnessed further improvement.
There will be fairly widespread rain or snow today and scattered tomorrow in the Jammu and Kashmir, a Met department spokesman said.
He said isolated rain or snow was predicted in Ladakh region today and tomorrow. About 2 feet of fresh snowfall was received since last night on the famed ski slopes, a hotel owner said over phone from Gulmarg, about 55 km from here also connected by helicopter service from Srinagar International Airport.
Heavy to very snowfall was experienced at Kongdori, Khilanmarg and Affarwat, the highest skiing point, he said, adding that it was still snowing heavily.
A large number of tourists and skiers who had arrived at Gulmarg from different parts of the country and abroad are out on slopes since early morning, enjoying fresh snowfall. A Met spokesman said the minimum temperature witnessed further improvement and settled at minus 5.6 degree Celsius against yesterday’s minus 6.2 degrees.
However, minus 7 degree is being considered normal during this period of the winter at Gulmarg, where minus 12.5 degree was coldest so far recorded on December 24. The upper reaches in the north Kashmir, including near the Line of Control (LoC) also experienced fresh snowfall since early this morning. Dozens of roads connecting far flung and remote areas, including those near LoC, have been closed.
The road from Bandipora to border town of Gurez has already been closed since last month for winter due to snow and slippery road conditions.
However, the plains are experiencing rain since early this morning resulting in cold. The minimum temperature also witnessed more than four degree improvement at Kupwara because of cloudy sky and rain. Against yesterday’s minus 2.5 degree minimum temperature it was 1.4 degree, more than three notches above normal. About 10.4 mm rainfall was recorded at Kupwara, spokesman said. After rain and cloudy weather during the night, it started snowing, a tourist official said over phone from world famed health resort of Pahalgam, much to the delight of tourists who could not enjoy snow on New Year because of dry weather. (AGENCIES)
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