SRINAGAR : The Kashmir valley and many parts of Jammu region received fresh snowfall bringing respite to the people from intense cold weather conditions in the Valley and also disrupted the surface and air traffic while many trains were delayed due to dense fog in the region.
The heavy snowfall in Jawahar Tunnel area of Pir Panjal forced the closure of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway this afternoon, while a large number of vehicles have been stranded on both sides of the Jawahar Tunnel along the highway.
The snowfall started in the afternoon in both plains as well as hilly areas of Kashmir valley. Earlier, the rest of the places except Srinagar had received a fresh snowfall on Jan 2.
Snowfall started at around 2 pm and within half an hour, Valley was covered with a white blanket of snow and commuters were finding it difficult to move around in different parts of Srinagar city. Click here to watch video
By evening, around 1 ft of fresh snow had accumulated in Gurez, 6 inches in Gulmarg, 4 inches in Srinagar, 8 inches in Baramulla and Sopore, 3 inches in Pattan, 9 inches in Bandipora, 7 inches in Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag, 4 inches in Pulwama, 2 feet in Bangus valley in Handwara, 1 ft in Nowgam sector, 4 inches in Handwara, 5 inches in Kupwara, 1.6 feet in Lolab, 4 inches in Tangmarg and around 9 inches in Jawahar Tunnel area on the National Highway.
The snowfall disrupted traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and it was closed for traffic at around 3 pm due to slippery conditions near Jawahar Tunnel area.
The Superintendent of Police Traffic Rural, Kashmir Muzaffar Ahmad Shah, told Excelsior that in the morning traffic was allowed to ply from Srinagar to Jammu. “All the Light Motor Vehicles crossed the Jawahar Tunnel by noon but when trucks were crossing, the road at many places became slippery and they stopped the traffic. Already around 1100 trucks had crossed and around 900 were near the Jawahar Tunnel. He said that all the stranded trucks were brought back to Qazigund, away from the avalanche prone area.
SSP Traffic National Highway, Jammu Shakti Pathak said that today one way traffic from Kashmir to Jammu was allowed. But after 3 pm, due to snowfall in Pir Panjal area, the movement of traffic was stopped. He said the slippery road condition near Jawahar Tunnel and ahead of Banihal and other side of the Tunnel forced the closure of highway. Pathak said the traffic from Nagrota near Jammu and TCP Udhampur had already been stopped today. If the weather improved tomorrow, the movement of traffic from Jammu to Srinagar will be allowed.
The snowfall in Valley led to traffic jams at various places leading to chaos on the road. The snow caused slippery road conditions and commuters had to face tough time.
The snowfall also led to disruption of air- traffic at Srinagar airport this afternoon. Several flights were cancelled following snowfall and poor visibility. “Several incoming and outgoing flights from the Srinagar airport were suspended following fresh snowfall since this afternoon,” an Airport official said.
He said morning flights operated normally from the airport. Passengers, who had reached airport from different parts of the Valley, were waiting though a notice has been issued by the airport authority that there is no chance of operating any flight until weather improves.
Deputy Director Meteorological Department (MeT), Dr Mukhtar Ahmad, said that the weather would remain wet till Jan 6 (Sunday) afternoon and the higher reaches including Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Pahalgam and other areas would receive fresh snowfall between January 4-6.
He said that the minimum temperature has risen in the past couple of days and it will go further up in the coming days.
The MeT official said that Srinagar recorded 3.7 degree Celsius as maximum day temperature while minimum was recorded at minus 3.2 degree Celsius; Qazigund recorded maximum of 3.8 degrees Celsius and low of minus 0.8 degrees Celsius, Kokernag registered
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