Light motor vehicles from Jammu to Srinagar to be allowed today, but only stranded heavy vehicles

Srinagar: With cloud cover and snowfall in some parts of Kashmir valley, the minimum temperatures witnessed a considerable rise on Monday after remaining under the freezing mark for the past two weeks.
MeT officials said that the minimum temperature recorded on Monday in Srinagar was 0.6 degree Celsius, a sharp rise over the minus 5.2 degree Celsius recorded on Sunday. The maximum temperature, though, remained about the same at 10.5 degree Celsius, a slight increase over the previous day.
Monday’s minimum temperature was about one degree higher than normal for this time of the year, MeT officials said.
Ski-resort Gulmarg remained the coldest place in the valley with maximum temperature of minus 2.6 degree Celsius and minimum temperature of 6.5 degree Celsius on Monday, an increase in both day and night temperatures compared to previous days.
Tourist destination Pahalgam recorded a maximum temperature of 6.4 degree Celsius and minimum of minus 1.3 degree Celsius on Monday.
Qazigund in south Kashmir recorded a maximum temperature of 8.7 degree Celsius and minimum temperature of minus 0.3 degree Celsius.
Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded maximum temperature of 9.3 degree Celsius and minimum temperature of minus 0.5 degree Celsius.
There hasn’t been any activity of major snowfall anywhere in the valley since the beginning of ‘Chillai Kalan’ on December 20.
Weather officials said that there was likelihood of light snowfall and rainfall across Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh over the next 24 hours, but the weather is likely to remain dry for the next few days in Kashmir valley.
Traffic officials said on Monday that subject to fair weather conditions, traffic will be allowed to move from Jammu towards Srinagar on Tuesday.
“LMV’s from Nagrota (Jammu) should ply from 5AM to 12PM and from Jakheni (Udhampur) from 6AM to 1PM. After that no vehicle shall be allowed,” the traffic department said.
For Heavy Motor Vehicles (HMVs), it said, “Only stranded vehicles between Udhampur and Nashri Tunnel shall be allowed towards Srinagar.”
For Mughal Road, the department said that the road remains closed due to the accumulation of snow.
For Leh-Kargil Road, the department said that traffic will remain subject to fair weather conditions as well as the condition of the road. “Only one-way traffic shall be allowed on Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road, from Kargil towards Srinagar, from 9AM to 2PM,” it said.

KALEEM GEELANI