Highway Shut For Over 3 Hours, 2-Way Traffic Today; Flights Operation Affected

Srinagar: Kashmir Valley received fresh snowfall on Friday, leading to the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu highway for more than three hours and impacting flight operations to and from Srinagar, officials said here.
Snowfall was recorded in the tourist towns of Pahalgam and Gulmarg, as well as in Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian, Pulwama, Budgam, and the upper areas of Kupwara, Ganderbal and Srinagar.
A meteorological department official here said in last 24 hours, Srinagar received 0.5 cm of snowfall, Qazigund 11 cm, Pahalgam 8.7 cm, Kokernag 16 cm, Kupwara 2.5 cm, Gulmarg 10 cm, Banihal 2.5 cm and Batote 2 cm. He said Jammu had 1.2mm of rain, Katra 1.0mm, Bhaderwah 7.8mm and Kathua 3.8mm of rainfall during the time.
Traffic movement on both sides of the Srinagar-Jammu highway — the only road connecting Kashmir with the outside world– was stopped due to snowfall and shooting stones between Ramban and Banihal for several hours, officials said.
“Highway was closed for 03 hours and 20 minutess due to shooting stones at Panthyal. There was slow movement on NHW due to breakdown of 03 HMVs between Nashri and NAVYUG Tunnel,” a traffic department official said.
“Subject to fair weather and road clearance, LMVs Passenger/Private Cars shall be allowed from both sides on Jammu-Srinagar NHW viz Jammu towards Srinagar and vice-versa,” he said, adding, “TCU Jammu/Srinagar shall liaise with TCU Ramban before releasing the traffic.”
Moreover, flight operations at the Srinagar airport were affected due to snowfall and low visibility, the officials said.
Minimum temperatures rose in Kashmir but still settled below the freezing point across the Valley. Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 0.1 degrees Celsius on Thursday night — up from minus 1.4 degrees Celsius the night before. Qazigund, the gateway to the Valley, registered a low of minus 0.6 degrees Celsius.
Kokernag in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 1.4 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature in Kupwara settled at minus 1.5 degrees Celsius. The mercury in Pahalgam, in the Anantnag district, which serves as a base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra, settled at minus 2.9 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature at Gulmarg in Baramulla district was minus 7.6 degrees Celsius.
The meteorological office had forecast wet weather in Jammu and Kashmir from January 19 to 25 due to western disturbances. It said there were chances of light to moderate rain or snow in parts of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday and Saturday.
It predicted a much higher intensity of precipitation from January 23 to 25, with a possibility of moderate snow in the plains of Kashmir, moderate to heavy snow over middle and higher reaches and rains in Jammu.
Kashmir is currently under the grip of ‘Chillai Kalan’, the 40-day harshest weather period when chances of snowfall are maximum and most frequent. Chillai Kalan begins on December 21 and ends on January 30. The cold wave continues even after that with a 20-day-long ‘Chillai Khurd’ and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai Bachha’ following it.

KR Desk