Fresh snowfall shuts highway, disrupts traffic in Jammu & Kashmir

Intermittent snowfall continued for second day on Monday in Kashmir with the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg recording more than one-and-a-half feet snow.

The meteorological department has forecast more snow over the next 24 hours across Kashmir valley.

Gulmarg received about 45.7 cms of snow till 8.30 am on Monday morning, a meteorological department spokeswoman said.

She said the minimum temperature in the resort, the star attraction for tourists especially skiers from abroad, registered an increase of about two degrees from minus 6.0 degrees Celsius to settle at minus 4.2 degrees Celsius.

Pahalgam hill resort in south Kashmir, which serves as the base camp during the annual Amarnath yatra, recorded a jump of nearly three degrees in the mercury from the previous night's low of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius to settle at minus 0.6 degrees Celsius, she said.

Pahalgam received 8.6 cms of snowfall during the night, she added.

Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded 2.5 cms of snow and the minimum temperature in the city settled at a low of minus 1.0 degrees Celsius, about a notch below Sunday's minus 0.2 degrees Celsius, the spokeswoman said.

She said Kupwara received 5.2 cms of snowfall and the mercury there settled at a low of 0.2 degrees Celsius, as against minus 0.1 degrees Celsius on Sunday.

Kokernag hill resort in south Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 0.5 degrees Celsius, compared to Sunday's minus 1.2 degrees Celsius, she said, adding the town recorded 2 cms of snow.

The spokeswoman said Qazigund on Srinagar-Jammu national highway recorded a low of zero degrees Celsius, one notch higher as compared to the previous night's minus 1.0 degrees Celsius.

Kargil in Ladakh region was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir as the night temperature was recorded at a low of minus 11.4 degrees Celsius, up by nearly three degrees from minus 14.0 degrees Celsius the previous night, she said.

She said Leh, also in Ladakh, registered a low of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius -- an increase of over six degrees from Sunday's minus 11.6 degrees Celsius.

The meteorological department has said there would be widespread rains or snow over the state over the next 24 hours, while warning of heavy snowfall at some places in the higher reaches of the state.

The divisional administration has already geared up the men and machinery to tackle any eventuality in the wake of the possible heavy snowfall.

Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir Rohit Kansal said a three-tier plan has been prepared to ensure least disruption to movement of traffic in the valley in case of heavy snowfall.

"The first priority will be to keep the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway motorable followed by inter-district roads in the valley," he said.

The divisional commissioner said there was enough stock of essential commodities in the valley in case of the Srinagar-Jammu road getting closed due to snowfall.

The authorities have also issued an avalanche warning to people living in areas above 2,500 metres altitude in the valley.

The residents of these areas have been asked not to venture in avalanche prone areas especially in mountainous areas close to the Line of Control.

With inputs from Mukhtar Ahmad in Srinagar