Sunny day in Kashmir after overnight snowfall; night temp settles above normal

The upper reaches in Kashmir valley, including world famous ski resort of Gulmarg and tourist resort of Pahalgam, received fresh snowfall overnight, resulting in major improvement in the minimum temperature due to overcast conditions.

However, people woke up to a chilly but sunny Monday morning in the summer capital, Srinagar and other parts of the valley, where light rain and snow is predicted at isolated places during the next 24 hours.

Meanwhile, all the waterbodies of Ladakh remained frozen as the minimum and maximum temperatures at most places in the Union Territory remained below freezing point. Even though there was improvement in the night temperature at the border town of Drass, it was still the coldest place in the region at minus 14.2 degree. Drass is the second coldest place in the world after Siberia.

A Met department spokesperson said that light rain and snow would occur at isolated places in the valley during the next 24 hours. “The weather will turn dry from Tuesday onwards, which would again result in dip in the minimum temperature,” he added.

Gulmarg, where the ski slopes are covered under several feet of snow, received 2 inches of fresh snow overnight. Kongdori and Apharwat, the highest point of the cable car project in Gulmarg, also received light snowfall. “The weather is cloudy but the temperature has improved. Tourists last night experienced fresh snowfall and during the day are out on ski slopes enjoying different activities,” a hotelier told UNI over the phone.

He said the footfall of tourists has increased significantly ahead of celebrations of New Year and early snowfall in the resort, known for its ski slopes are quality of snow. The night temperature in Gulmarg dipped about a degree from Sunday and settled at minus 6.5 degree, which is slightly below normal.

People woke up to a chilly but sunny Monday morning in the summer capital, Srinagar, where the night temperature improved about 5 degree from Sunday and settled at 0.6 degree, which is 2 degree above normal.

The weather remained chilly throughout the day in the city despite sun coming out even as the intensity of the heat was less coupled with ice cold winds. Auto-drivers and mechanics had burned wood early in the morning on roadsides to keep themselves warm in the city, where people are forced to use traditional means of heating due to frequent power cuts.

World famous tourist resort of Pahalgam, about 100 km from here in south Kashmir, also received light snowfall overnight. The mercury in the health resort also improved over 4 degree from Sunday and settled at minus 1.3 degree, which is 4 degree above normal. Sun came out from behind the clouds later in the morning in the health resort though the weather remained chilly due to ice cold winds. The upper reaches of Pahalgam, including Aru, also received light snowfall.

Fresh snowfall was also experienced in other upper reaches of the valley, including tourist resort of Sonamarg and Gurez. Jawahar Tunnel on Srinagar-Jammu national highway also received about 4 to 5 inches of fresh snowfall overnight.

The mercury at Qazigund, gateway to the valley, Kupwara in north Kashmir and tourist resort of Kukernag improved and settled at minus 0.3 degree, minus 0.5 degree and minus 1.5 degree, respectively.