J&K, Jan 28: The Jammu-Srinagar National Highway remained closed for the second consecutive day on Wednesday due to snow accumulation, officials said, as authorities worked to clear the 270-km arterial road. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) personnel are applying salt and urea to improve driving conditions on slippery stretches caused by frosty weather.
Most parts of Kashmir received snowfall on Tuesday, disrupting traffic and temporarily halting flight operations at Srinagar airport. Flight services resumed on Wednesday morning, though the highway remained closed. Night temperatures across the valley plunged several degrees below freezing, with Gulmarg recording the coldest temperature at minus 9.8°C, followed by Sonamarg at minus 9.8°C and Pahalgam at minus 6.4°C. Srinagar, however, recorded a slightly warmer minimum of 0.1°C, while Baramulla settled at 0.4°C.
The Kashmir Valley is currently experiencing the final days of ‘Chilla-i-Kalan,’ a 40-day period of extreme cold that began on December 21 and is expected to end on January 30. The Meteorological Department has forecast light rain or snow at isolated places on Wednesday, with generally cloudy but dry conditions expected until January 31. A fresh western disturbance is predicted to affect the region from February 1, potentially bringing another spell of wet weather.