Srinagar: Higher reaches of Kashmir on Monday received the season’s first snowfall while plains were lashed by rains, ending a month-long dry spell in the valley, officials said.
Affarwat in Gulmarg area of Baramulla district and Sadhna Top in Kupwara district received snowfall, they said.
Reports of snowfall were received from other mountainous areas in Kashmir as well. Srinagar and other plain areas of the valley were lashed by rain late in the afternoon, they added.
Nearly 4 inches of snow have accumulated at the Sadhna Top in the frontier Kashmir district of Kupwara in north Kashmir, and it was still snowing there, the reports said.
Reports of light snowfall were also received from Kishlay Top in the Gurez valley of Bandipora, the Pir Panjal Range of mountains, Peer Ki Gali, and the higher reaches of Ganderbal, including the mountainous pass of picturesque Sonamarg and the Zojila pass on the strategic Ladakh highway.
Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, and other parts of the Kashmir valley received light rainfall after a long dry spell. Srinagar and other parts of the valley were engulfed by fog that reduced visibility, disrupting normal activities.
Kashmir Valley is witnessing a dry spell that led to the record low water level in the main rivers and other tributaries, causing water scarcity.
The Meteorological Centre Srinagar on Monday has predicted light rain/light snow over the higher reaches of over North and a few places of central Kashmir.
The MeT office said a weak Western Disturbance (WD) is likely to hit and can cause light rain and light snowfall over the higher reaches of the north and a few places in central Kashmir during November 15 and 16.
“Overall, there is no significant weather activity till November 23,” the MeT office said. The minimum temperature recorded during the intervening nights of Sunday and Monday in Srinagar was 5.3°C and it was 3.4°C above normal during this period of the season. The day temperatures are expected to fall by 2–6°C across the Kashmir valley and there is a possibility of a significant dip in the night temperatures also from November 17 onwards. The minimum temperature recorded during the intervening nights of Saturday and Sunday in Srinagar at 3.6°C and it was 1.7°C above normal for the summer capital during this period of season.
The maximum day temperature was recorded in Srinagar on Sunday at 20.3°C and it was 3.0°C above normal, the MeT office said.