Severe Cold and Snowfall Continue to Freeze Kashmir Valley, Traffic Disruptions Expected
Srinagar, Dec 1: The Kashmir valley is experiencing a significant drop in temperatures following recent snowfall in higher reaches, leading to severe cold weather conditions across the region. According to officials, the accumulation of snow has temporarily closed several important routes, including the strategic Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road connecting Ladakh, as well as the Gurez-Bandipora and Sinthan roads. Snow clearance operations are underway to reopen these vital routes for traffic.
The Meteorological Centre has forecasted partly cloudy weather for Sunday, with a chance of light rain or snow in higher reaches and scattered areas across Jammu and Kashmir. A weak Western disturbance is expected to bring light rain and snow to the region late on December 2 through the morning of December 3. The weather is expected to remain dry thereafter until December 7, with another possible wet spell predicted around December 8, bringing light rain and snow to higher altitudes.
The severe cold continues to grip the valley as both day and night temperatures have fallen sharply following the snowfall. The coldest place in the region on Sunday was Konibal, which recorded a low of minus 3.5°C. The temperature in Srinagar dropped to minus 1.3°C during the night, 0.9°C below the normal temperature for this time of year. The city’s iconic Dal Lake and surrounding areas were also shrouded in fog, further disrupting normal activities.
In other parts of the valley, Qazigund recorded a low of minus 1.8°C, a significant drop from the previous night’s minus 0.4°C. This was 1.1°C below the normal temperature for the area. Meanwhile, the temperature in Pahalgam, a popular tourist destination, saw a slight improvement, recording minus 0.3°C, which was 2.5°C above the seasonal average.
Gulmarg, known for its ski resorts, also experienced a noticeable drop in temperature, with a low of minus 2.6°C compared to minus 0.5°C the previous night. Despite this, the temperature remained 0.2°C above normal for the area. Similarly, Kokernag in south Kashmir saw its temperature rise slightly, reaching 0.4°C, 0.5°C above normal.
In the frontier district of Kupwara, the temperature dropped to minus 0.5°C, down from 3.4°C the previous day, but it remained 0.5°C above the region’s seasonal normal. As Kashmir braces for more cold weather, residents and authorities continue to monitor the conditions closely.
