Kashmir received heavy snowfall after a prolonged dry spell as the season's first snowfall graced Srinagar and the plains of Kashmir on Thursday, January 31, bringing joy to the residents and tourists. Snowfall commenced late on Wednesday and continued until morning in most areas, IMD said. Starting with rain and snow, the entire valley was adorned in a snowy blanket by morning.
Srinagar received approximately two inches of snow, with Anantnag town recording four inches, Qazigund nine, Pahalgam 10 and Gulmarg receiving a substantial 14 inches. Higher elevations experienced moderate to heavy snowfall.
Although many roads were shut due to the heavy snowfall, residents and tourists were seen happy playing on the white carpet. Moderate to heavy snowfall also continued in high hills and tribal areas of Himachal Pradesh, while the state capital received the first snowfall of the season bringing cheer to residents, tourists and farmers.
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Shimla was wrapped in a thin blanket of snow on Thursday. Braving the cold, tourists and residents thronged to Mall Road and Ridge in the heart of the city to enjoy the snowfall. Over 240 roads, including six national highways, in the state have been closed for vehicular traffic, PTI reported.
Vehicular traffic in the upper Shimla area beyond Dhalli came to a standstill as the roads got blocked due to heavy snow in Kufri, Fagu and Narkanda.
Orchardists in the valley also welcomed the snow, expressing gratitude for the beneficial impact on farming and horticulture. The temperature in Dehradun is expected to plummet by 4-5 degrees Celsius due to the continuing snowfall and rain, the MeT said. The recent change in weather has ended a prolonged dry spell which was posing a threat to the apple crops in the upper Himalayan region.
(With inputs from PTI)
(Edited by : Jerome Anthony)
