Srinagar: Most parts of Kashmir, particularly the higher reaches received moderate snowfall on Wednesday.
In 2021, Kashmir received that year’s first snowfall in the last week of October, which caused damage to the orchards, especially in south Kashmir.
On Wednesday, Gulmarg receives 6 cm of snowfall in the 24 hours till 8:30 am. Srinagar, Pahalgam, and Kupwara received light rainfall of 0.3 mm, 1.1 mm and 3.6 mm.
The border town Tangdhar received 5 inches, Gurez 6 inches, Machil one feet and Keran around one feet snowfall.
The roads leading all border towns of Tangdhar, Keran, Machil and Gurez remained closed for vehicular traffic.
PREDICTION
“From January 11 to 13, widespread moderate snowfall and rain in plains of Jammu with heavy snowfall over higher reaches with main activity expected during January 11 evening to January 12 (75 percent chance),” Meteorological Department officials said here adding that the weather system was very likely to affect surface transportation (major highways, Sinthantop, Sadna Top, and Gurez-Bandipora Road during January 11 to 12 and air transportation on January 12 (60 to 70 percent chance). “The weather system may affect power supply.”
It was after October 2021 that Kashmir received moderate snowfall today.
In October 2021 rain and snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir had left three people dead and several apple orchards extensively damaged.
Srinagar had recorded the coldest October day in 39 years as the maximum temperature plummeted across Kashmir.
The snow and rainfall have led to an early onset of winter-like conditions in Kashmir.
Of the three persons killed, two were women. The three were killed after snowfall and rains, which triggered a mud-slide that hit a tent set up by nomads in Noorpora in the Tral area of Pulwama district.
Another person received critical injuries in the incident. All three were nomads belonging to Reasi district in the Jammu division.
About two-dozen stranded persons at Sinthan Pass in south Kashmir district were rescued that day. Heavy snowfall was recorded in Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Pahalgam, Shopian and Gurez areas of the valley.
The snowfall has caused extensive damage to apple orchards in some areas of Kashmir, especially in Shopian and Kulgam districts in south Kashmir where most of the horticulture produce was yet to be harvested.
The J&K government declared the October 2021 snowfall as “state-specific calamity”.
The declaration was made under State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) guidelines issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) in 2015 for the purpose of providing relief to the affected families.
Three worst affected districts of Kashmir and six districts of Jammu division were covered under this declaration for spells of heavy rainfall and snowfall.
These districts included Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian of Kashmir division and Jammu, Udhampur, Kishtwar, Reasi, Samba and Kathua of Jammu division.
TEMPRATURES
Srinagar recorded a low of 3.5 degrees Celsius against last night’s 1.8 degrees Celsius, 5.6 degrees Celsius above normal.
Qazigund recorded a low of 1.6 degrees Celsius against minus 0.8 degrees Celsius, 4.6 degrees Celsius above normal.
Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 0.3 degrees Celsius against minus 3.2 degrees Celsius the previous night, 6.8 degrees Celsius above normal.
Kokernag recorded a low of 0.7 degrees Celsius against minus 3.6 degrees Celsius the previous night, 4.3 degrees Celsius above normal.
Ski-resort of Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 3 degrees Celsius against minus 4.4 degrees Celsius the previous night, 4.9 degrees Celsius above normal.
Jammu recorded a low of 8 degrees Celsius against 6.6 degrees Celsius the previous night, 1 degree Celsius above normal.
In Ladakh, Leh recorded a low of minus 7.2 degrees Celsius and Kargil minus 7.4 degrees Celsius.