Srinagar, Nov 9: Upper reaches of Jammu & Kashmir experienced fresh snowfall on Thursday evening resulting in the closure of the historic Mughal road, officials said.
Fresh snowfall on “Pir ki Gali” on the historic Mughal road connecting south Kashmir's Shopian district with the twin district of Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu division was closed for vehicular traffic as a precautionary measure, they said.
They said that “there was fresh snowfall in Pir Ki Gali and other adjoining areas, leading to the closure of the thoroughfare for vehicular traffic”.
Reports of rain and snowfall were also received from upper reaches of few catchments of north Kashmir areas also.
Meteorological Centre Srinagar today predicted fairly widespread light to moderate rain or snowfall over Jammu and Kashmir during the next 24 hours.
MeT office said that the weather will mostly remain cloudy but dry on Thursday with the possibility of light rain or snowfall at isolated higher catchments of Jammu and Kashmir.
It said that on November 10 there is a possibility of fairly widespread light to moderate rain or snowfall over the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh Union Territory.
“There is a possibility of 4-5 inches of snowfall on higher reaches of north western parts and the higher reaches, roads including Mughal road, Sinthan top, Razdan Pass and at Zojila pass while most parts of the plains will be lashed with rains throughout the valley”, the MeT office said.
The weather will likely remain dry as there is no significant chance of any heavy precipitation from November 10 to 16, it said.
Kashmir weather, an independent weather observer, Faizan Arif said that Western Disturbance is set to impact Jammu and Kashmir from Thursday afternoon onwards. Until evening, minor activities of rain and snow are possible, especially over higher reaches.
He said towards night or early morning Friday, heavy rain or snow showers are possible in north Kashmir.
The weather system will impact most parts of Jammu region as well, he added.
Arif said the snowfall Chances for Plains of south Kashmir's Shopian are 50-60 percent, Pulwama and Kulgam 30 percent, Anantnag 20 percent while Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora in north Kashmir, and Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal in central Kashmir 10-20 percent. He said snowfall is also expected in elevations above 2000 m.
“Persistence of a heavy spell of rain in Shopian plains can lead the precipitation to change into all-snow”, Arif said and added “Maximum chances of snowfall for plains remain for Shopian district, followed by Kulgam district in south Kashmir”.
“There are no expectations of snowfall in Srinagar as per the current weather conditions”, he added.
The minimum temperature recorded at Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, on Wednesday at 2.5 degree Celsius, Qazigund 1.6, Pahalgam 0.0, Kupwara 4.2, Kokernag 4.4 and Gulmarg 1.2, the MeT office said.
