Vaishno Devi Yata suspended, schools closed, over 240 people rescued, avalanche alert issued
Jammu Tawi, Jan 23: Normal life was thrown out of gear across Jammu and Kashmir on Friday as the season’s first widespread snowfall, accompanied by heavy rain and gale-force winds, ended a prolonged dry spell. The severe weather disrupted road, rail and air connectivity, snapped power lines, forced the closure of schools and prompted high-danger avalanche warnings in several districts of the Union Territory.
A strong western disturbance swept across the region late Thursday night, bringing moderate to heavy snowfall to higher reaches of the Jammu region, most parts of the Kashmir Valley and parts of Ladakh, while plains witnessed widespread rain. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the system was triggered by a sharp pressure drop, leading to strong gusty winds and intense precipitation, with the current spell expected to weaken by Friday evening. Another weather system is likely around January 26.
The severe weather led to the closure of key road links, including the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44), the Mughal Road, Srinagar–Leh highway, Sinthan Road and Kokernag–Kishtwar road. Traffic was suspended in both directions on NH-44 following snowfall around the Navyug Tunnel, leaving thousands of vehicles stranded. The Batote–Doda road was also closed due to landslides and slippery conditions. Rail services on the Banihal–Baramulla section were partially disrupted, while air traffic was hit hard.
Air operations were hit hard by the inclement weather, with around 26 flights cancelled at Srinagar airport due to continuous snowfall and poor visibility. Several other flights were delayed as conditions remained unfavourable, affecting air connectivity with major cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Jammu.
At Jammu Airport, at least 5 flights were suspended while a number of others faced delays due to heavy rain and adverse weather conditions. Passengers were advised to stay in touch with airlines for updates as further disruptions could not be ruled out.
High-speed winds, clocking up to 150 kmph in Shopian, uprooted trees, blew away rooftops and snapped power lines, plunging parts of the Valley into darkness and disrupting water supply and telecommunications in several districts. Precautionary power cuts were enforced in many areas.
According to weather observer, snowfall was recorded across almost all districts of Kashmir, parts of Jammu and Ladakh, with wide variations in accumulation.
In the Jammu region, Banihal recorded over 5 inches, while Loran Mandi in Poonch received 7 to 8 inches. In Ladakh, the Suru Valley in Kargil district received 3 to 4 inches.
South Kashmir bore the brunt, with Shopian district reporting 1.5 to 2.5 feet of snow in plains and up to 4 feet in higher reaches. Pulwama’s Drabgam and Rajpora areas recorded around 1.5 feet. In central Kashmir, Budgam district saw some of the heaviest snowfall, with Pakherpora receiving 1.5 to 2 feet and Charar-i-Sharief about 1.5 feet. Srinagar city witnessed light snowfall, while the airport recorded 3 to 4 inches.
Gulmarg recorded about 2 feet of snow, while Kupwara district saw heavy accumulation, including around 2.5 feet at Hachmarg and nearly 2 feet at Tangdhar and Dedikote. Higher reaches of the Karnah Valley above 2,000 metres received between 2.5 and 4 feet of snow.
Authorities issued a high-danger avalanche warning for six districts, cautioning that avalanches were likely above 2,300 metres in Ganderbal district and above 2,500 metres in Doda, Kishtwar, Poonch and Ramban districts of Jammu region, and Kupwara in north Kashmir over the next 24 hours. Residents were advised to avoid avalanche-prone areas and adhere to official advisories.
As a precaution, the pilgrimage to the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine was temporarily suspended, while schools were ordered shut in several hilly districts, including Kishtwar, Doda, Udhampur, Reasi, Rajouri and Poonch, to ensure the safety of students and staff.
Meanwhile, police and security forces launched round-the-clock rescue and relief operations across the Union Territory. At least 120 people stranded in snowbound areas of Basantgarh in Udhampur and Tota Gali in Poonch were rescued. Rashtriya Rifles troops evacuated nearly 110 civilians stranded in buses and private vehicles at Tota Gali on NH-144A, while police rescued 12 people stuck in heavy snowfall at Chochru Gala in Basantgarh.
Despite the disruption, the snowfall transformed hill stations such as Gulmarg, Patnitop, Bhaderwah and the Vaishno Devi shrine into picturesque winter destinations, raising hopes of a boost to tourism and improved water resources after an unusually dry start to the season.
National Conference president Farooq Abdullah urged the administration to remain alert and responsive, ensure uninterrupted civic amenities and provide relief and compensation to families who suffered losses due to gusty winds and adverse weather.
Officials said snow clearance operations were underway and authorities were closely monitoring the situation, urging people to avoid unnecessary travel until weather conditions improve and roads are declared safe.
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Restoring essential services Govt’s top priority: CM
Srinagar, Jan 23: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday reviewed the situation across Jammu and Kashmir following widespread snowfall, gusty winds and snowstorms.
The Chief Minister also stressed on restoring essential services stating that it remains the government’s top priority.
The Chief Minister took stock of the impact on electricity, water supply, road connectivity and other essential services.
“Strong winds have crippled the power system, reducing electricity supply to about 100 MW against the usual 1,700 MW. Our entire system is down due to strong winds. Departments are working to restore the supply, which is expected soon,” CM Omar said.
He stressed that priority roads are being cleared first, followed by secondary routes and assured that all essential services would be reconnected in phases.
The Chief Minister appreciated the swift response of the Divisional and District administrations in minimizing public inconvenience and directed them to maintain high preparedness in view of ongoing weather advisories.
He also instructed timely assessment of damages to ensure immediate assistance to affected families.
CM Omar said that while most parts of Kashmir received snowfall, Srinagar saw very little, calling it “strange weather.” He expressed hope for snow in the city and highlighted the long-term benefits of winter snowfall for summer water needs.
On tourism, the Chief Minister said that fresh snowfall in areas like Gulmarg, where over two feet of snow has already fallen, is expected to boost winter tourism and allow the continuation of ski courses.
He said that discussions on the upcoming budget with legislators followed later in the day and that suggestions from stakeholders across trade, horticulture, agriculture, tourism and higher education sectors were considered.
Earlier, talking to reporters, CM Omar, said, “Strong winds have crippled the power system, reducing electricity supply to about 100 MW against the usual 1,700 MW. Our entire system is down due to strong winds. But gradually the department is fixing the electricity system and it is expected that supply will be restored as soon as possible.”
The Chief Minister shared, restoring essential services remained the government’s top priority. “The focus right now is on electricity, roads and water. The rest will be taken up later,” he said.
