Srinagar: An acute cold wave gripped the Valley on Friday ahead of a weather forecast for three days of snow and rain beginning Friday night.
According to the Meteorological (MeT) centre Srinagar, night temperature dipped across Kashmir with Srinagar recording minus 1.3 degree Celsius.
Pahalgam recorded minus 2.2 degree Celsius, Gulmarg 1.8 degree Celsius, Kupwara minus 2.1 degree Celsius and Kokernag 1.9 degree Celsius as minimum temperature on Friday.
MeT’s Deputy Director Srinagar Mukhtar Ahmad told Kashmir Reader that there was no report of snowfall and rainfall anywhere in Kashmir valley during the day. He said snowfall is expected to start from Friday evening in the upper reaches.
Ahmad said that clouds had engulfed the skies in the higher reaches of Kashmir in the evening, making stronger the possibility of snowfall at higher altitudes and rainfall in the plains over the next two days.
The MeT has predicted widespread moderate to heavy snowfall and rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh from Friday evening up to Sunday night. It has warned the people living in higher reaches to avoid moving out during the period in order to prevent themselves from landslides.
“Scattered to fairly widespread precipitation is very likely to occur over J&K and Ladakh between November 13 to 15,” said the MeT’s weather advisory.
The MeT also warned that air and surface traffic will likely get disrupted during the period, especially the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu and Srinagar-Leh highways as well as the Mughal Road.
Keeping in view the weather forecast, the divisional administration of Kashmir has alerted its officials in districts while keeping men and machinery ready to meet any eventuality.
The Traffic Police said on Friday that subject to fair weather conditions, only Light Motor Vehicles (LMVs) would be allowed to ply from Jammu towards Srinagar.
On the status of Mughal Road it said that traffic load carriers with fresh fruits would be allowed from Hirpora (Shopian) towards Poonch from 11 AM to 4 pm. “No vehicle shall be allowed after that. Moreover, no passenger vehicle or pedestrian shall be allowed on Mughal Road,” it said.

KALEEM GEELANI