Fresh snowfall in Sonamarg, Gulmarg; rain in plains
Srinagar, Mar 30: Sonamarg and Gulmarg experienced fresh snowfall while the plains of Kashmir received rainfall on Saturday even as the Meteorological Department predicted a decrease in precipitation from Sunday.
The snowfall in Gulmarg and Sonamarg was attributed to a Western Disturbance that hit Jammu and Kashmir on March 27.
The residents of Srinagar were seen navigating the rain with umbrellas and raincoats as they carried out their daily routines amidst the downpour. The Meteorological Department (MeT) predicted chances of rain and snowfall at many places until March 30, however with a decrease.
Despite cloudy skies, temperatures remained relatively high in most parts of the Jammu division.
Jammu city recorded a minimum temperature of 18.8 degrees Celsius and Srinagar 9.8 degrees Celsius.
The MeT officials said that on March 31, the weather is expected to be partly to generally cloudy with intermittent light rain and snow at a few places.
From April 1 to 5, generally dry weather is expected with the possibility of light rain at isolated places on April 3.
Farmers have been advised to suspend farm operations till March 31 due to the weather conditions. The advisory also highlighted the possibility of landslides, mudslides, and shooting stones during this period, along with the expectation of thunderstorms, lightning activity, hailstorms, and gusty winds on March 29 and 30.
Reports said that efforts to restore connectivity along the Mughal Road, linking Poonch-Rajouri to Kashmir, saw significant progress as snow removal operations concluded within a record 17 days.
Led by the PWD Mechanical Engineering Wing, the clearance of snow up to Peer Ki Gali marks a milestone achievement in snow removal operations, signalling a step forward in restoring essential connectivity in the region.
On Saturday, night temperatures recorded a further drop as more rains lashed J&K.
Banihal received the highest rainfall in the Jammu region, while Pahalgam in Kashmir also experienced significant rainfall during the last 24 hours.
Banihal received 43.8 mm of rain, followed by Katra with 37.4 mm, and Pahalgam with 35.4 mm. Srinagar recorded 29.7 mm of rain while Gulmarg received 26.6 mm.
The night temperatures in Srinagar recorded a minimum of 6.8 degrees Celsius, Qazigund 7.2 degrees Celsius, Pahalgam 1.3 degrees Celsius, Kokernag 6.6 degrees Celsius, Kupwara 5.4 degrees Celsius, Gulmarg minus 0.5 degrees Celsius, Jammu 16.4 degrees Celsius, Banihal 8.2 degrees Celsius, Batote 8.2 degrees Celsius, and Bhaderwah 8.2 degrees Celsius.
Looking ahead, the forecast indicates fairly widespread light to moderate rain, snow, and thunderstorms over Jammu and Kashmir during the next 24 hours, with a decrease in precipitation likely from March 31.
Generally, dry weather is expected thereafter till April 5, with light rain expected at isolated places on April 3.
