Srinagar: Fresh snowfall occurred in both hilly areas as well as plains on Monday resulting in closure of Srinagar-Jammu highway.
In Srinagar and elsewhere, snow brought an end to unabated cold wave in the Valley.
Superintendent of Traffic Police (Rural) Muzaffar Shah said that the highway was closed following snowfall along the mountainous road.
He said that traffic will be allowed on the highway subject to clear weather. Shah said that only stranded vehicles would be allowed to ply once the road is thrown open.
The vehicles, including those carrying passengers and essential commodities, have been stranded at various places on the other side of Jawahir Tunnel on the highway, where traffic was allowed to ply from Jammu to Srinagar on Monday.
Hundreds of oil and gas tankers besides Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs), carrying essentials, particularly fresh vegetables were allowed to leave from Udhampur and other parts of Jammu for Kashmir valley late last night after remaining suspended for six days.
But, as the highway has again been suspended these trucks and Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) have again been suspended. “Traffic on the highway will be allowed only after improvement in the weather and getting a green signal from officials on the road,” he added.
The highway was closed on Wednesday following landslides at Digdol, where a portion of a hill had collapsed. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI), responsible for maintenance and widening of the highway, cleared the landslides on Friday and Saturday for few hours before fresh landslides and snow.
Flight operations to and from Srinagar airport were going on as per schedule, an official of the Airport Authority of India (AAI) said.
Meanwhile, Meteorological Department said that weather will improve from today evening. Director MeT Sonam Lotus said that there will be slight improvement in night temperature after the snowfall. He said that light to moderate snowfall will continue in the night.
“We expect weather to improve from today evening,” Lotus added.
Srinagar recorded a low of minus 0.8 degrees Celsius last night.
The official said the ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded the low of minus 8.0 degrees Celsius last night – 2.5 degrees up from Sunday.

Reader correspondent