The Srinagar Met office on Wednesday updated its weather adverse weather advisory forecasting heavy to very heavy snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir that is likely to disrupt surface and air traffic during the next three days.
A weather advisory issued by the local Met department has forecast heavy to very heavy snowfall in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir with heavy rainfall in the plains during the next three days.
"Due to the adverse weather conditions during the next two to three days, air and surface traffic is likely to be disrupted during this period. Surface transport between the Kashmir valley and the Ladakh region is likely to be disrupted because of heavy snowfall at the Zojila Pass.
"Traffic between the valley and the Jammu region is also likely to be affected especially through the Mughal Road," an official of the Met department.
Following the weather advisory, a high-level meeting was held by the provincial administration to alert all disaster management machinery at the district level across the valley.
"The administration is ready to deal with any adverse weather condition and all concerned officials have been alerted at the provincial and the district levels," a senior officer of the provincial administration said.
Heavy snowfall has already started in Sonamarg and at the ski resort of Gulmarg since Wednesday morning while heavy rains lashed the valley during the previous night.
Locals have already taken out their winter clothing as most Kashmiris wore the traditional ''Pheren'' (tweed over garment) in the valley.
With the electric supply remaining as erratic as ever, the earthen fire-pot oven in a basket of willow wicker called the ''Kangri'' continues to be the best bet for Kashmiris to keep their body and soul together during the valley''s harsh winter months.
Little surprise that Kangris are selling like hot cakes in Srinagar and elsewhere in the valley these days.
Day and night temperatures dropped across all weather stations as Valley witnessed intermittent rainfall on Wednesday, Met officials said here.
The official said heavy rainfall is expected in plains for three days while in upper reaches may witness snowfall. He said that higher reaches particularly in Sonamarg have witnessed moderate snowfall as a result temperature has dipped in Kashmir Valley.
Kashmir capital Srinagar recorded a low of 5.4 degrees Celsius on Tuesday, dropping 8.8 degrees compared to the night before, the officials said Tuesday.
The official said that Qazigund- the gateway town to the Valley recorded a low of 6.0 degrees Celsius, while nearby Kokernag town recorded a low of 5.7 degrees Celsius.
Kupwara in North Kashmir saw the mercury settling at minimum 0.8 degrees Celsius, the official said.
He said that the Pahalgam health resort in South Kashmir, registered a low of 4.5 degrees Celsius, a drop of 3.7 degrees compared to previous day.
Gulmarg, the famous skiing resort in North Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius.
Leh town in Ladakh region recorded a minimum temperature of minus 3.6 degrees Celsius while mercury in the nearby Kargil town settled at a low of minus 2.1 degrees Celsius.
The official said that the adverse weather conditions may disrupt surface and air traffic during the next three days.
About one feet of snowfall was received since Tuesday night in the upper reaches in north Kashmir, an official of Police Control Room (PCR), Kupwara, said over phone on Wednesday.
“It is still snowing in the upper heights,” he said, adding Kupwara town also received very light snowfall since early this morning.
Officials said due to accumulation of about one feet of snow, traffic on different routes, leading to far flung and remote areas, including LoC, have been suspended.
He said three main roads of Kupwara-Karnah, Kupwara-Keran and Kupwara-Machil were closed for any vehicular movement due to eight inches to about one foot of snowfall. “The roads are very slippery and it is still snowing,” he added.
However, he said, all roads in the main Kupwara town are open as there was very light snowfall this morning.
Meanwhile, the Razdan pass, connecting Gurez, Neeru and dozens of other areas near LoC in Bandipora district, was closed due to snowfall. The road has been closed this morning for any vehicular movement due to about a foot of snow and slippery conditions.
The authorities have already pressed into service snow clearance machines and cutters to clear the snow and put through the road, which remained closed for six winter months in the past. The government has already approved a tunnel at Razdan pass to make it an all weather road.
The district administration in both Kupwara and Bandipora districts have already made all arrangements to meet any challenge, officials said, adding snow cutters and other sophisticated snow clearance machines have been pressed into service to clear the accumulated snow. But, they said since it was still snowing, clearance operation is getting hampered.
Meanwhile, administration has stocked enough essentials, including rice, atta, sugar, LPG cylinders, medicine at areas which remained cut off during winter with their district and tehsil headquarters in both the district.