Kashmir receives fresh snowfall

The higher reaches of Kashmir Valley, including ski-resort Gulmarg, received fresh snowfall on Friday while plains received rains throwing normal life out of gear.

A Met department official said ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district recorded more than six inches of fresh snowfall since Thursday night while Sadhna Top, Farkian Top and Zed Gali in frontier Kupwara recorded 1.5 feet to two feet snowfall.

He said reports of fresh snowfall in other areas in the upper reaches of Kashmir, including Zojilla Pass and Amarnathji Cave, were also received.

The Met Office has predicted light to moderate rainfall in plains and snowfall in higher reaches in next 24 hours across the Valley.

However, despite the inclement weather, the strategic Srinagar-Jammu national highway remained open for one-way traffic.

A traffic police official said traffic from Srinagar to Jammu was allowed on Friday and if weather permits vehicles will be allowed to ply from the opposite direction.

Pertinently, the highway remained closed for almost a week recently following the fresh landslides, triggered by the rains as well as snowfall, witnessed in the Valley in last week.