Srinagar, Jan 24: The road clearance operations were underway to restore traffic on the Srinagar–Jammu National Highway and other key roads which remained closed for the second day on Saturday due to slippery conditions at different stretches following snowfall while the flight operations resumed at Srinagar airport after improvement in the weather condition.

Hundreds of commuters were evacuated to safety and provided food and shelter by the Army, police and civil administration after they were left stranded on the 270-km Srinagar-Jammu Highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country.
Deputy Superintendent of Police, traffic National highway (Banihal), S P Singh said snow clearance operations on NH44 are in the final stages and the stranded vehicles on both sides will be cleared on priority.
While over 900 vehicles are stranded in Ramban sector of the highway, over 2,000 others, including trucks carrying essential commodities, are waiting for a green signal to move towards their destinations in Jammu, Udhampur, Kulgam and Anantnag districts.
“Some stretches of the highway along Ramsoo-Banihal sector are slippery, and the road clearing agencies are sprinkling salt and urea on the road to improve conditions for safe driving,” the DSP said, adding that normal traffic is likely to resume once the stranded vehicles are cleared.
The Border Roads Organization (BRO) is also carrying out a major snow clearance operation to restore Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch National Highway.
The strategically important highway is closed between BG of Rajouri and Jarran Wali Gali of Poonch after heavy snowfall on Friday, a BRO official said.
He said the men and machinery of BRO is working tirelessly to restore the road and throw it open for traffic.
The high altitude areas in most parts of Jammu region including the famous tourist destinations of Patnitop, Nathatop and Bhaderwah experienced moderate to heavy snowfall on Friday, while rains in plains including Jammu city ended a dry spell that lasted over two months. Some areas of Jammu like Rajouri town and parts of Doda and Udhampur witnessed snowfall after a gap of more than a decade.
Meanwhile, the normal operations resumed at the Srinagar airport today, officials said.
However, several flights to and from Delhi airport were cancelled due to airspace closure in view of the Republic Day celebrations .
An official said that six flights to and from Delhi were cancelled today morning due to a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) at the Delhi airport.
He said the flight operations resumed at the airport, with flights from different parts of the country arriving and departing as schedules return to normal.
The official said apart from six cancellations due to the NOTAM at Delhi Airport, in effect from 10:20 am to 12:45 pm, rest of the flights are running smoothing.
On Friday, all flights were cancelled due to low visibility and runway closure following season’s first snowfall in Srinagar, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded at the airport.
There has been an improvement in the weather since Saturday morning, the officials said, adding, the Meteorological Department has forecast light rain and snow at isolated places on Saturday and Sunday.
“Another western disturbance is likely to impact Jammu and Kashmir on Monday, under the influence of which, light to moderate rain/snow is likely at most places, with the possibility of heavy spells with thunder/gusty winds at a few places, from Monday night to Tuesday forenoon,” the MeT official said.
Afterwards till February 3, the weather is likely to stay mainly dry, but partly cloudy.
Meanwhile, the night temperature in Srinagar settled at a low of minus 1.4 degrees Celsius on Friday night, the officials said.
Gulmarg, in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir at a low of minus 12.0 degrees Celsius.
The tourist resort of Sonamarg, in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, was the second coldest recorded place at minus 10.5 degrees Celsius.
The Pahalgam tourist resort in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 7.6 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature in Qazigund settled at minus 4.2 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag recorded a low of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius and Kupwara minus 4.0 degrees Celsius.
The Kashmir Valley is currently under the grip of ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’, a 40-day period of extreme cold during which night temperatures often drop several degrees below the freezing point, and the chances of snowfall are the highest.
‘Chilla-i-Kalan’, which began on December 21 last year, ends on January 31.