Fresh snowfall  in higher reaches of J&K, rains in plains

Srinagar, Nov 10: Overnight rains lashed Kashmir while the upper reaches including Gulmarg received fresh snowfall on Friday, leading to a dip in temperatures across Jammu and Kashmir.

The fresh snowfall led to the closure of some roads while the Meteorological Department (MeT) predicted improvement in weather conditions from Saturday.

Areas like Gurez, Pir Ki Gali, Zojila, Drass, and Machil sectors witnessed fresh snowfall while the plains like Srinagar, Pulwama, Shopian, Anantnag, Kupwara, and Baramulla were lashed with rain.

Due to the snowfall, the Gurez-Bandipora and Srinagar-Kargil roads were closed to traffic.

The MeT officials here said that in the 24 hours till 8:30 am, Srinagar received 17.5 mm of rain,

Qazigund 12 mm, Pahalgam 6.4 mm, Kupwara 29.8, Kokernag 5.8 mm, Gulmarg 22.2 mm (also 10.4 cm of snow),  Jammu 42 mm, Banihal 21.4 mm, Batote 17.2 mm, Bhaderwah 3.6 mm, and Katra 33.4 mm. There are reports of snowfall at Sadhana Top, Phirkhiyan Gali Keran, and Machil Kupwara as well as Bandipora district’s Razdan Top.

The MeT had predicted snowfall in Kashmir and there was snowfall in the higher reaches.

“Around 6 inches of snow accumulated in these higher areas. The weather is still cloudy, and the weather will remain like this till tonight,” the MeT officials here said. “The weather will improve from November 11 to 18.”

“There will be a gradual decrease in precipitation from late afternoon onwards,” the MeT officials said. “From November 11 to 17, the weather is going to be mainly dry and days will be warmer.”

As cold winds have swept across the region, the temperature has fallen several degrees below normal. After snowfall on both sides of the Pir Panjal Mountains, woollens and heating gadgets are back to cope with the cold.

The MeT officials said that Srinagar recorded a low of 6.3 degrees Celsius which was around 4 degrees Celsius above normal for the summer capital.

They said Pahalgam recorded a low of 4.7 degrees Celsius, 6 degrees Celsius above normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.

Officials said Kokernag recorded a low of 6.2 degrees Celsius, 4 degrees Celsius above normal for the place.

They said Jammu recorded a low of 13.8 degrees Celsius, normal for the winter capital.

Officials said that Banihal recorded a low of 6 degrees Celsius, below normal by 1 degree Celsius, Batote 6.6 degrees Celsius, above normal by 3 degrees Celsius, Katra 11.5 degrees Celsius, 1 degree Celsius below normal, and Bhaderwah 7.8 degrees Celsius, 3 degrees Celsius above normal.