Min temperatures drop below freezing point in Kashmir, Gulmarg coldest at minus 9.5 deg C

#Jammu highway reopens partially, Mughal road remains shut

14/12/2018

SRINAGAR, Dec 13: Higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir received fresh snowfall on Thursday while the plains witnessed intermittent rains as the minimum temperature settled below the freezing point at most places in the Valley and Ladakh region.
Snowfall has been recorded in the higher areas of the valley like Qazigund, Kokernag, Pahalgam and Mughal Road during the night, MeT officials said.
There are reports of snowfall in other areas in the higher reaches of the valley and Jammu region as well including near the Jawahar Tunnel on Srinagar-Jammu national highway, they said.
However, the plains in the valley, including Srinagar, received intermittent rains overnight which continued Thursday morning in some areas, the officials said.
The snowfall and rains have led to closure of traffic on vital roads including the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.
The nearly 300-km long highway was closed for traffic on Wednesday following accumulation of snow on both sides of the Jawahar Tunnel, an official of the Traffic Control Room said.
He said subject to fair weather and clearance of the road, the vehicles which were stranded Wednesday would be cleared first on Thursday.
Mughal Road, which is an alternate route connecting the valley with Jammu region, remained closed for traffic due to snowfall.
The Srinagar-Leh National Highway, connecting the valley with Ladakh region, is also closed for traffic due to snow accumulation at Zojilla.
Meanwhile, the valley and Ladakh region, except Srinagar, witnessed sub-zero night temperature last night.
Srinagar city recorded a low of 0.1 degrees Celsius last night, compared to the previous night's 0.2 degrees Celsius, the MeT officials said.
They said Qazigund the gateway town to the valley recorded a low of minus 0.2 degrees Celsius while the nearby Kokernag town recorded a low of minus 1.2 degrees Celsius.
Kupwara in north Kashmir saw the mercury settling at minus 2.8 degrees Celsius, the officials said.
They said Pahalgam health resort, which serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnathyatra in south Kashmir, registered a low of minus 1.5 degrees Celsius.
Gulmarg, the famous skiing resort in north Kashmir, saw the mercury dipping to a minimum of minus 9.5 degrees Celsius last night - which was colder than Leh and Kargil. Gulmarg was the coldest recorded place in the state.
Leh town in Ladakh region recorded a minimum temperature of minus 8.9 degrees Celsius, while the mercury in the nearby Kargil town settled at a low of minus 9.3 degrees Celsius, the officials said.
The MeT Office has said the weather is likely to improve from Thursday and would stay mainly dry over the next few days.
Traffic was partially restored on Thursday evening on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway after remaining suspended since yesterday due to heavy snowfall and slippery road conditions.
However, the Mughal road, connecting Shopian in south Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu region, remained closed for the fourth day today due to fresh snowfall, particularly at Pir-ki-Gali, a traffic police official said. He said the road has also become very slippery as the snow had frozen due to below freeing temperature.
The 434-km-long Srinagar-Leh national highway, the only road linking Ladakh region with Kashmir, remained closed for the fourth day on Thursday due to fresh snowfall, a traffic police official said.
Large number of vehicles, including trucks and oil tankers, are stranded on both sides of the Zojila pass. Traffic remained suspended on the highway due to fresh snowfall and slippery road conditions, traffic official said.
"We could not resume traffic as the road has become very slippery due to accumulation of snow, particularly between Sonmarg in central Kashmir district of Ganderbal and Zojila and Meenmarg, he said, adding that there was also threat of avalanches.
"We have withdrawn all our men who were deployed to regulate traffic during summer," he said. However, local police and Beacon project officials were regulating traffic on the highway, he said, adding that there are very less chances of reopening of the road before next summer.
Only one-way traffic was plying on the highway for the past several weeks after first heavy snowfall when the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, announced closure of the highway. However, after protests by stranded passengers and residents of Kargil and Drass, one-way traffic was again allowed on the highway.
Large number of Kashmir-bound vehicles, including empty trucks and oil tankers besides carrying passengers, are stranded at Drass, Kargil and Meenmarg. Similarly, Ladakh-bounds trucks, carrying essentials and oil tankers have been stopped at Sonamarg in the central Kashmir district of Ganderbal.
The Beacon authorities will start snow clearance operation only when the snowfall stops and there is no threat of avalanches, official sources said, adding that the highway will be declared closed for winter if there is no improvement in the weather and road condition.
The Ladakh region remained cut off during six winter months due to heavy snowfall and avalanches. The Centre and state governments have already announced to construct a tunnel at Zojila to make it an all weather road.

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