SRINAGAR: Kashmir Valley received its first major snowfall of the season on Wednesday leading to closure of the Mughal Road and Zojilla pass on the Srinagar-Leh highway.
Deputy Director Meteorological Department, Dr Mukhtar Ahmad told Kashmir Reader that Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Kupwara received the first major snowfall of the season.
The plains witnessed intermediate rainfall which will continue till Friday forenoon, he said.
Snowfall was heaviest in Kupwara, followed by Gulmarg and Sonamarg.
“The rainfall in plain areas has coincided with the snowfall in the upper reaches. This lad led to the drop in day temperature up to 12 degree Celsius,” he said.
According to him the weather will start improving from Friday and remain dry till November 13. There will also be rise in day temperature, but drop in the night.
“The days from Friday will be dry, cloudy, and sunny,” he added.
Superintendent Traffic, Rural Highways, Mukhtar Shah said that the snowfall has temporarily led to the closure of Zojilla pass and Mughal Road.
The Mughal road connects the twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri in Jammu region with South Kashmir’s Shopian district.
There was snowfall in high altitude areas including Pir Ki Gali on Tuesday due to which the road was closed for vehicular traffic as a precautionary measure, an official said.
He said commuters had been directed to avoid travel along the road to avoid any untoward incident.
The movement of heavy vehicles at Srinagar-Jammu highway was restricted to one-way owing to overall condition of the road, especially between Jawahar Tunnel and Ramban, coupled with narrow width of the highway at some places owing to the ongoing widening.
The weather system is likely to cause temporary disruptions of surface transport especially over passes like Zojila, Srinagar-Jammu, Leh-Manali Highway, Mughal Road due to landslides.

Reader correspondent