Srinagar, Mar 1 : Higher reaches including Gulmarg recorded fresh snowfall while the plains of Jammu and Kashmir received rains on Friday.
A meteorological department official here told that Srinagar received 0.6mm of rain from 0830 hours to 1730 hours, Qazigund 1.2mm, Pahalgam 3.0mm, Kupwara 12.3mm, Kokernag 0.4mm, Jammu 2.7mm, Banihal 11.2mm, Batote 12.1mm, Katra 2.44mm and Bhaderwah 11.0mm while Gulmarg received 17.8 cms (7 inches) of snowfall.
He said Srinagar recorded a minimum of 4.5°C against previous night’s 2.1°C. It was below normal by 3.0°C for the summer capital of J&K for this time of the year, the MeT official said.
Qazigund recorded a minimum of 2.4°C against minus 1.0°C on the previous night and it was 2.0°C above normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, he said.
Pahalgam recorded a low of 1.3°C against minus 4.4°C on the previous night and it was 2.0°C above normal for the famous resort in south Kashmir.
Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a minimum of 2.3°C against minus 0.4°C on the previous night and the temperature was above normal by minus 0.4°C for the place, the official said.
Kupwara town recorded a low of minus 2.3°C against 1.7°C on the previous night and it was 1.3°C below normal there, the official said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 3.6°C and minus 5.6°C on the previous night. The temperature was above normal by 2.6°C for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir.
Jammu, he said, recorded a minimum of 14.3°C and it was above normal by 2.7°C for the winter capital of J&K.
Banihal recorded a low of 6.6°C, Batote 8.4°C and Bhaderwah 6.8°C, he said.
MeT has also issued an advisory cautioning about the disruption of surface and air transport in the valley.
It said widespread moderate to heavy rain/snow is expected in Jammu and Kashmir till the afternoon of March 3 with its peak activity on March 2.
“The above system is most likely to cause heavy to very heavy rain/snow over Pirpanjal Range of Jammu division and middle & higher reaches of Kashmir Division (Anantnag-Pahalgam, Kulgam, Sinthan Pass, Shupiyan-Pir Ki Gali, Sonamarg-Zojila, Bandipora-Razdan Pass, Gulmarg and Kupwara-Sachna Pass),” read the advisory.
The weather activity may lead to disruption of surface and air transport including Jammu-Srinagar highway and other major roads of middle and higher reaches of J&K.
It urged the people in snow bound areas to avoid venturing into sloppy and Avalanche prone areas.
“Chances of landslides, mudslides & shooting stones most likely over the vulnerable areas,” it said, adding, “Farmers are advised to withhold all farm operations during 1st week of March.”
Meanwhile a traffic department official said the one-way traffic on Jammu-Srinagar highway, the only all weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of world, moved smoothly for better part of the day and was closed late in the afternoon on Friday.
“Traffic movement stopped due to shooting stones at Kishtwari Pather on Jammu-Srinagar NHW, weather rainy,” the official said. “People are advised to avoid journey on NH-44 till the weather improves and road is clear. please ask TCU for latest update.”
