Early snowfall blankets Pahalgam, Daksum
Srinagar, Oct 7: The Pahalgam tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district woke up to the season’s first snowfall on Tuesday, with fresh flakes blanketing rooftops, pine forests, and meadows in white.
Fresh snowfall was also reported from nearby Aru Valley, adding to the scenic charm and drawing delight from tourists and locals alike after several days of rain.
The weather event, accompanied by moderate to heavy precipitation in higher reaches, came in line with forecasts by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), which had predicted continued wet weather through October 7 due to western disturbances.
Pahalgam received about two inches of snow.
“After Monday, Sinthan Top and Margan Top again received fresh snowfall ranging between 8 and 10 inches,” a MeT official said.
He said the Daksum tourist resort and the last villages along the Margan-Warwan-Marwa side, including Lehanwan, Matihandoo, and Gawran, were blanketed by up to two inches of snow.
Snow was also reported from Gulmarg, the famed ski resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, where accumulations ranged between 6 and 8 inches in the upper reaches.
The snowfall led to a sharp drop in day temperatures across the region.
On Monday, the plains of Kashmir were lashed by rain, while high-altitude areas including Gulmarg, Sinthan Top, Margan Top, Bangus Valley, Razdan Top, and Zojila Pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway, Peer Ki Gali along Mughal Road, and the upper reaches of Gurez Valley were covered under a thick white blanket.
Director Meteorological Department, J&K, Mukhtar Ahmad, said light snowfall continued in high-altitude areas until Tuesday afternoon, after which weather conditions were expected to improve.
Independent weather forecasters said a few southern and hilly districts, including Kishtwar, Doda, Anantnag, Ramban, Udhampur, and Kathua, witnessed short-lived showers until Tuesday afternoon, which would be followed by a largely dry spell across J&K.
Forecasts suggest that dry weather would dominate across J&K until around October 20, with only isolated areas likely to receive brief rain during this period.
The region is stabilising after several days of rain and snow that affected higher altitudes last week.
At Zojila Pass, the minimum temperature dropped to minus 8 degrees Celsius, an early indication of winter in the upper reaches.
The pass recorded nearly six inches of snowfall, with about five inches settled on the ground and light winds blowing at roughly 6 km per hour.
Sinthan Top reported snow depths of 8 to 10 inches, while Margan Top recorded a similar accumulation.
Daksum received around 1 to 2 inches of snow.
Light snow was also reported from Lehanwan and surrounding areas, though Kokernag remained largely snow-free, indicating localised precipitation.
Weather experts said early October snowfall is not unusual for Kashmir, but this year’s intensity, particularly at Gulmarg, Zojila, and Sinthan, has been relatively higher due to back-to-back western disturbances over the past week.
Officials advised commuters to exercise caution while travelling along snow-covered routes, especially the Zojila and Sinthan stretches, where slippery conditions may persist despite improving weather.
