All major highways in Kashmir were closed on Friday due to fresh snowfall and landslides at various places, officials said.
Due to snowfall in Qazigund sector, no movement of traffic was allowed from Qazigund towards Banihal side and from Banihal towards Jawahar tunnel today, said an official.
Because of fresh snowfall in Pir Ki Galli and Shopian area, Mughal road remained closed for movement of traffic today as well.
Vehicles were stopped at Heerpora from Shopian side and at Behramgalla and Chandimarh from Poonch side.
In view of snowfall in between Sonamarg-Zojila road stretch, Srinagar-Kargil road also remained closed for movement of traffic for the second day.
Vehicles were stopped at Sonanarg on Srinagar side and at Drass on Kargil side, an official said.
Bandipore-Gurez road was also closed for traffic because of fresh snowfall.
Simthan-Kishtwar road also remained suspended for traffic because of accumulation of snow.
Snowfall was received in upper reaches of the valley while rains have been lashing the state since past two days.
A MeT official said that the weather is likely to improve from tomorrow.
Plains in Kashmir Valley received season’s first snowfall on Friday, with the ski resort of Gulmarg recording 22 inches of fresh snowfall.
“Plains of the valley, including Srinagar, recorded season’s first snowfall on Friday,” an official at Met department told IANS.
“Gulmarg recorded 44.4 mm (22 inches) of fresh snowfall.”
The minimum temperature in Srinagar was recorded at 0.3 degrees Celsius. It was 0.4 in Pahalgam, minus 7.0 in Gulmarg, minus 1.3 in Leh, and 2.4 in Kargil town on Friday.
The minimum temperature in Jammu city was recorded at 11.6 degrees Celsius, in Katra it was 9.0, in Batote 3.6, in Ban nihal the temperature was 1.5, and in Bhaderwah 3.6 degrees Celsius.
According to the official, more rain and snow is expected in Jammu and Kashmir till Saturday and then the weather will begin to improve.
