DH NEWS SERVICE
Srinagar, Jan 16
The higher reaches of the Kashmir Valley, along with some plains, experienced fresh snowfall on Thursday, officials said.
The plains of South Kashmir, including the tourist resort of Pahalgam, as well as Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian, Qazigund, Deksum, Kokernag, and the Pir Panjal mountain range, received fresh snowfall on Thursday.
A train operating on the Banihal- Budgam route was suspended due to snowfall, a railway official informed UNI. However, other trains on the route are running as scheduled.
The Picturesque Sonamarg, Zojila Pass on the Srinagar-Ladakh highway, Ganderbal, and other places in Central Kashmir also received snowfall this morning.
Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, and its adjoining areas received rain.
“For plains of central and north Kashmir, nothing major is expected, although there is a possibility of light snowfall over some areas, particularly in central Kashmir plains”, Faizan Arif an independent forecaster said.
The Meteorological Centre in Srinagar forecast light rain/ snow at scattered places in Kashmir valley and Jammu Division on Thursday.
The weather is likely to remain generally cloudy with the possibility of light snow at isolated higher reaches can’t be ruled out from January 17 to 19th. “Overall, there is nothing significant till January 18”, the MeT office said
Another spell of light snowfall is expectedat isolated to scattered locations on January 20 and 21. Furthermore, the MeT has predicted light rain in the plains of Jammu and snowfall scattered to fairly widespread locations in the Kashmir Valley on January 22.
Meanwhile, there was a significant improvement in cold weather conditions as night temperature improved amid an overcast sky on Thursday.
The night temperature in Srinagar recorded during the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday witnessed a significant drop by several degrees recorded at a low of -2.5?C against the-4.8?C the previous day, the MeT office said adding this was 0.5?C below the average for the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir during the period.
The famous ski resort of Gulmarg, despite witnessing a marginal improvement in the minimum temperature, turned out to be the coldest place in Kashmir valley on Thursday at -7.0?C against the -7.4?C on Wednesday. However, it was 0.8?C above normal for the valley of meadows in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district for the day.
After remaining the coldest place for several days the night temperature at the tourists of Pahalgam improved and recorded at a low of -4.2?C against the -8.4?C on the previous day. This was 1.7?C above normal for the valley of shepherds during the period.
Kupwara improved and recorded at -1.9?C against the -4.7?C a day ago and this was 0.6?C above normal for the frontier Kashmir district during this period of the season. Kokernag in south Kashmir had a low of -2.2?C against the -4.6?C the previous night and it was 1.0?C above the average for the picnic spot during the period.
The night temperature at Qazigund on the Srinagar Jammu national highway also improved and was recorded at -3.8?C on Thursday against -5-4?C a day ago and it was 0.8?C below normal for the gateway to Kashmir during the period, the MeT office said.
