Kashmir's higher reaches get season's first snowfall

As the higher reaches of Kashmir received the season’s first snowfall, flight operations at Srinagar airport remained shut for the fourth consecutive day on Monday due to foggy conditions.

“None of the 17 flights operating in the Srinagar sector could take off because of poor visibility,” an airport official told DH.

The cancellation of flights has also affected the working of banks in the Valley as there is an acute shortage of new notes. “For the past three days, we are short of new currency notes as cash could not be brought here due to the cancellation of flights,” a senior official of J&K Bank said.

“Due to demonetisation, we have a huge demand for new notes. But till flight operations don’t resume, we have no other option but to wait,” he said.

Relief from biting cold
Meanwhile, minimum temperatures at most places in the Valley and Ladakh region appreciated by several degrees, providing some relief to people from the biting cold.
An official in the MeT department said mild snowfall was reported in some of the higher reaches of the Valley, marking the season’s first snowfall. The overcast conditions led to an increase in the night temperatures.

On Monday, the temperature in Srinagar appreciated by nearly four degrees from the previous night’s low of -0.9 degrees Celsius to settle at 2.8 degrees, he said. Similarly, the ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir registered a low of 2 degrees Celsius against Saturday night’s -1.5 degrees.