Medium danger avalanche warning issued for upper reaches of Kupwara, Bandipora
The weather department has predicted more rain and snow in the Valley in next few days.
While summer recorded fresh light snowfall this morning, many other areas, especially the higher reaches in the Valley, experienced continuous light to moderate snowfall for the third consecutive day.
The plains also received rains during the last 24 hours.
A Weather department official said Srinagar recorded snow and rains equivalent to rainfall of 7.5 mm during the last 24 hours till 0830 hours.
Other areas which witnessed snowfall included Ganderbal, Keran, Machil, Karnah, Gurez, Shopian, Sonamarg and Amarnath along with surrounding areas.
The official said the city registered minimum temperature of minus 0.3 degree Celsius — slightly down from minus 0.1 degree Celsius yesterday.
The official said the depth of snow recorded during the last 24 hours in Gulmarg, the star attraction for tourists visiting the Valley during winter, was two feet.
There also were reports of snowfall in the peripheral areas of the resort including in the areas of Khilanmarg, Kongdoori and Afferwath.
The famous ski-resort registered a low of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius, down from the previous night’s minus 3.6 degrees Celsius.
The famous health resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir received 3.5 cm snow, said the official adding the resort recorded a low of minus 1.6 degrees Celsius.
Kupwara, in north Kashmir, recorded depth of 8.2 cm snow, while the night temperature there settled at a low of minus 1.0 degree Celsius.
Kokernag town in south Kashmir registered a minimum of minus 1.4 degrees Celsius and recorded rains and snow equivalent to 1.9 mm of rainfall, the official said.
Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir valley, recorded 3.8 mm of rainfall and snow and the night temperature there settled at a low of 0.6 degrees Celsius.
Kargil in the frontier region of Ladakh was the coldest recorded place in the state with a low of minus 10.2 degrees Celsius, while the nearby Leh town registered minimum temperature of minus 6.7 degrees Celsius.
The MeT office has forecast widespread snowfall or rains over the next two days in the state and isolated rains or snowfall a day after that.
Meanwhile, the Snow and Avalanche Study Center in Chandigarh issued a “medium danger” avalanche warning in Kupwara and Bandipora districts of Jammu and Kashmir in areas above 3000 meters altitude.
“People are advised not to venture into avalanche-prone areas,” the center said.
The center said that Banihal received 8 cm snow, Haddan Taj 30 cm, Neelam 38 cm, Pharkian 21 cm, Z Gali 57 cm, Kanzalwan 25 cm, and Dhundi 22 cm.
Meanwhile, bad weather and poor visibility led to cancellation of 12 flights at the Srinagar Airport today.
“Air traffic at the airport were hit as all morning flights were cancelled because of poor visibility,” Director Airports Authority of India, Srinagar Airport, Sharad Kumar told Kashmir Post.
He said six flights could not land this morning. In all, 12 flights to and from Srinagar were cancelled.
Sharad said after the operations stabilised in the afternoon, 14 flights took off from the airport.
