New Delhi: Many areas in the higher reaches of Kashmir experienced fresh snowfall on Sunday even as an overcast sky led to relief from intense cold conditions as the mercury increased across the Valley and Ladakh region.
The Meteorological department has predicted widespread rains or snow for the next three days. Snowfall was recorded in Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Kupwara areas of Kashmir on Sunday morning — a MeT official here said. He said while one centimetre of snow was recorded in Kupwara where it started to snow during the night, the twin tourist resorts of Gulmarg and Pahalgam received snowfall on Sunday.
There were also reports of snowfall in many other areas in the higher reaches of the Valley. The MeT Office has forecast fairly wide spread rains or snow with heavy falls at isolated places over three days from Sunday.
The alert has prompted authorities to put in place a mechanism to respond quickly to any exigency arising out of snowfall, with the government warning officials that any lapses in the snow clearance would not be tolerated and responsibility would be fixed in case of any complaints.
The warning comes in view of the severe criticism which the government faced after the authorities failed to clear most of the roads in the wake of heavy snowfall on January 6. Owing to overcast sky, the night temperature across the Valley and Ladakh region improved by several degrees, providing relief to the residents from the intense cold conditions.
Srinagar, which had experienced the coldest night of the season on Saturday — with the mercury settling at a low of minus 6.8 degrees, recorded a low of minus 2.3 degrees Celsius on Sunday night, which is an increase of over four degrees, the MeT said. But Ladakh region, was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir as the mercury there settled at a low of minus 13.7 degrees Celsius, which is over three degrees up from Saturday’s minus 17.0 degrees Celsius. The nearby Kargil town registered a low of minus 10 degrees, an increase of over five degrees from minus 15.6 degrees Celsius the previous night. Gulmarg, the famous ski-resort in north Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 10.5 degrees, up nearly four degrees from minus 14.4 degrees Celsius the previous night. Pahalgam, in south Kashmir, went up nearly eight degrees from minus 12.0 degrees.
