Snowfall in higher reaches, rains in plains

Srinagar, Mar 3: The higher reaches of Kashmir, including tourist destinations like Gulmarg and Pahalgam, experienced fresh snowfall on Monday while rains lashed the plains.

The Meteorological Department (MeT) officials said that Gulmarg ski resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district received 10 cm of snowfall while Pahalgam in south Kashmir recorded 3.5 cm of snow.

Kupwara also saw a fresh snowfall of 2.5 cm.

Srinagar and other areas in Kashmir experienced light rainfall since morning, with the highest precipitation of 10.4 mm recorded at Kupwara and 10.2 mm at Gulmarg by 8:30 am.

Srinagar received 1.9 mm of rain during the same period, and the precipitation continued throughout the day.

The MeT forecasted light to moderate rain and snow in the higher reaches of Kashmir, with a possibility of moderate to heavy snowfall in a few areas of north and central Kashmir.

It also predicted that the plains of Kashmir would experience rain showers, with the potential for snowfall in some plains, although this would be limited.

Independent weather forecaster Faizan Arif said that the weather would remain generally dry from March 4 to 9.

However, another fresh spell of rain and snow is expected to hit J&K between March 10 and 13.

Due to the inclement weather, the MeT office issued an advisory, urging tourists, travellers, and transporters to adhere to official traffic and administration advisories.

The advisories also recommended that farmers suspend irrigation and other farming activities until March 4, to avoid disruptions due to the weather conditions.

Additionally, people travelling in the higher reaches have been urged to stay away from avalanche-prone and steep areas.

The night temperature in Kashmir saw an increase with all weather stations reporting an uptick. Srinagar recorded a low of 4.9 degrees Celsius, 2.4 degrees Celsius above the average for this time of year, compared to 2.3 degrees Celsius the previous night.

Despite the temperature rise, Gulmarg remained the coldest place in the region, with a low of minus 4.3 degrees Celsius, an improvement over the previous night’s minus 7.5 degrees Celsius.

This was also 0.1 degrees Celsius above the usual temperature for the ski resort.

Meanwhile, Pahalgam, witnessed a low of minus 0.8 degrees Celsius, up from minus 4.7 degrees Celsius the previous night, marking a 1.2 degrees Celsius increase above the normal temperature in Kashmir.

As Kashmir experiences this spell of weather, authorities are closely monitoring conditions and continuing to provide updated weather information to ensure the safety of the public, especially in vulnerable areas.