Snow Siege

Srinagar, Dec 28: The first heavy snowfall of the season brought life in Kashmir to a halt, severing vital road and air links and plunging the Valley into near isolation from the rest of the country while the Meteorological Department (MeT) predicted another spell of light to moderate snowfall from January 3.

Kashmir experienced the season’s first snowfall on Friday, blanketing Srinagar and other areas in the plains, much to the delight of locals and tourists.

The fresh snow ended weeks of a bone-chilling cold and dry spell that had gripped Kashmir.

Both the arterial Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and the Mughal Road, crucial lifelines for Kashmir, have been closed due to severe cold weather conditions and accumulation of snow.

The closure of these key routes has stranded hundreds of vehicles, leaving commuters and essential goods stuck mid-journey.

The snowfall forced the cancellation of all flights at the Srinagar International Airport.

Airport Director Javed Anjum said that both arrivals and departures were halted, disrupting the daily schedule of around 70 flights.

“Due to bad weather conditions, all flights at the Srinagar airport have been cancelled. Passengers are advised to contact their airlines for updates. We regret the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding,” the Srinagar Airport said in a post on X.

Similarly, train services on the Banihal-Baramulla section were suspended due to heavy snow accumulation on the tracks.

Railway officials said that on Sunday, the train service would run at its scheduled time from Baramulla to Sangaldan although the first train from Banihal has been cancelled.

“Depending upon the weather, the trains may be delayed,” they said.

Srinagar witnessed 8 inches of snowfall, Ganderbal 7 inches, Sonamarg 8 inches, Zojila Axis 15 inches, Budgam 7-10 inches, Anantnag plains 17 inches and upper areas over 2 feet, Pahalgam 18 inches, Pulwama 10 to 15 inches, Kulgam 18 to 25 inches, Shopian 18 inches, Bandipora plains 4 inches and higher reaches including Gurez 6 to 10 inches, Baramulla 4 to 9 inches, Gulmarg 15 inches, Kupwara plains 1 to 2 inches and upper reaches 2 to 3 inches.

Key routes, including the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, were rendered impassable due to heavy snow.

The highway remained blocked near the NAVYUG Tunnel while other routes like the Mughal Road, Sinthan Road, Sonamarg-Kargil Road, and Bhaderwah-Chamba Road also faced closures.

Authorities have advised commuters to delay travel and stay updated through traffic control units in Jammu, Srinagar, Ramban, Udhampur, Kishtwar, and Kargil.

In Qazigund town of Anantnag district around 2000 vehicles are reportedly stranded as authorities scramble to find ways to clear the roadblocks.

The stranded vehicles include passenger cars, trucks carrying essential supplies, and tourist vehicles, exacerbating the challenges for those trapped in the freezing conditions.

Heavy machinery and men are working round the clock to open the road and senior officials are monitoring the clearance operation.

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Traffic, Suleman Choudhary Saturday said that over 1300 heavy Motor vehicles were stranded on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway due to heavy snowfall and hazardous road conditions.

He said that 465 HMVs were stuck in the Qazigund section while 879 vehicles remained stranded at various locations, including Ramban, Udhampur, and Jammu.

The IGP Traffic said that the highway had been temporarily closed from both directions.

“The accumulation of snow in the Qazigund area was substantial, and while snow-clearing machines have made significant progress, it is still not feasible to allow vehicles to pass through,” Choudhary said.

However, he said that vehicles stranded near the Navyug Tunnel had begun moving towards Jammu. “Traffic restoration will be reviewed on Sunday morning after the completion of snow clearance operations,” IGP Traffic said.

In the meantime, the Traffic Police issued a statement advising commuters to avoid travelling on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway due to slippery conditions between Navyug Tunnel and Mir Bazaar.

The advisory said that traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway remains closed for the day, and a decision on reopening the road will be made after an assessment of road conditions and clearance from road maintenance agencies.

The advisory also said that the Kishtwar-Sinthan-Anantnag road was still closed due to snow accumulation, along with the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumari Road, Mughal Road, and Bhaderwah-Chamba Road.

In Srinagar, the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) initiated large-scale snow clearance operations, deploying over 40 machines.

Officials said that efforts were focused on clearing priority roads leading to hospitals and major connecting routes.

More than 2000 residential lanes were being cleared with ground staff working since early morning to ensure smooth movement.

The snowfall disrupted power supply across several areas of Kashmir.

The fresh snowfall brought a marked improvement in minimum temperatures across the Valley.

Srinagar recorded a low of minus 1 degree Celsius, a significant rise from the previous night’s minus 7.3 degree Celsius.

Other temperature updates included Gulmarg minus 5 degrees Celsius, Pahalgam minus 2.8 degrees Celsius, Qazigund minus 0.6 degrees Celsius, Konibal minus 1.5 degrees Celsius, Kupwara minus 1.2 degrees Celsius and Kokernag minus 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Kashmir remains in the grip of ‘Chillai-Kalan,’ the harshest winter period, which began on December 21.

The MeT has predicted generally dry weather from December 29 to 31 and cloudy with light snow at isolated places from January 1 to 2.

It has predicted light to moderate snowfall in Kashmir and parts of Jammu, with chances of heavy snow in higher reaches from January 3 to 6.

The MeT warned of icy road conditions and freezing temperatures on December 30 and 31 and urged tourists and travellers to follow traffic advisories.