The upper reaches of the Kashmir Valley experienced fresh snowfall while the plain areas, including Srinagar, recorded intermittent showers on Monday, resulting in the closing of the 300-km-long Srinagar-Jammu national highway.
An official of the meteorological department said that upper reaches including famous tourist resorts of Gulmarg and Pahalgam received fresh snowfall since Sunday night.
Fresh snowfall was also experienced in Gurez, Keran, Karnah, Machil and other areas near the Line of Control (LoC), he said. Moderate snowfall was also recorded at the holy Amarnath cave and its periphery, Sheshnag, Mahaguns, Pisso top and Panjterni on the traditional yatra route in south Kashmir. The official said that plain areas including Srinagar received rainfall and the overcast conditions led to an increase in the minimum temperature.
Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of 1.8 degrees Celsius, over one degree up from the previous nights 0.3 degrees, the official said. The mercury level in Pahalgam increased by over three degrees to settle at a low of 0.2 degree Celsius as against minus 3.2 degrees the previous night.
The ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 3.2 degrees Celsius, same as the previous night. The resort received six inches of fresh snow.Leh town in Ladakh region recorded a low of minus 6.4 degrees Celsius, over three degrees up from the previous night’s minus 10 degrees, the official said while Mercury level in the nearby Kargil town jumped by almost ten degrees to settle at a low of minus 10.2 degrees Celsius as compared to minus 19.0 degrees the previous night.
Weather officials have forecast heavy rain and snowfall at isolated places over the next 24 hours.
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