Srinagar: Kashmir received fresh spell of snowfall on Wednesday leading to suspension of air traffic and closure of Srinagar-Jammu highway.
In Srinagar and elsewhere, snowfall started on Tuesday night and continued throughout the day on Wednesday. This disrupted normal life in the city as people preferred to stay indoors.
An official of meteorological department predicted isolated to scattered snowfall across the valley over the next few days.
The snowfall affected flight operations at Srinagar airport as all flights to and from were cancelled.
An official at the airport said, no flight was able to land at the Srinagar airport due to accumulation of snow on the runway.
“All flights for the day were cancelled,” he said.
Flight operations have remained affected since Sunday when all flights at the Srinagar airport were cancelled. The flight operations did not resume on Monday as well. However, some flights operated on Tuesday.
Director Metrological Department Sonum Lotus said that the system through which weather is predicted had showed no snow fall.
“The snowfall that Kashmir is witnessing may exist due to moisture of recent snowfall. It may last only through Wednesday evening,” he added.
He said Valley will receive light to moderate snowfall snow on January 17-18. Both plains as well as hilly areas are expected to receive some snowfall during these days, he added.
Meanwhile, Srinagar-Jammu highway continued to remain closed for traffic for fourth consecutive day on Wednesday. Hundreds of vehicles are stranded on the highway.
Superintendent of Police Rural Highway Muzaffar Shah told Kashmir Reader said that an estimated 5000 vehicles which were on way to Jammu from Kashmir are stuck on the highway.
“The route will remain shut until the snowfall stops, and work on clearance of snow begins,” he added.
The 270-km long highway, the only connectivity between Kashmir and rest of the world remains shut since Sunday. Besides, other highway including Srinagar-Leh highway and Mughal road connecting Kashmir to Jammu through Pirpanjal are already closed.
On Wednesday, there was improvement in both maximum and minimum temperatures.
According to a weather official, Srinagar’s day temperature was 2.5 degree Celsius while the night temperature was minus 1.2 degree. At Qazigund the temperature recorded was 2.2 degree Celsius.

Reader correspondent