Srinagar, Dec 7: After a brief dry spell, Kashmir valley received moderate rains and snowfall on Wednesday as western disturbances continue to hover over Jammu and Kashmir. However, the 300-kilimeter long Srinagar-Jammu Highway remained open till evening.
The weatherman forecast light rain coupled with snowfall at few places till late Friday evening. A Met department official said they expect a decrease in the precipitation in the next two days but western disturbances still persist here which can lead to further downpour and snow.
Gulmarg recorded a snow depth of 5 inches, Gurez 4, Sedow 6, Hirpora 5. The Mechanical Engineering Department started snow clearance on Gulmarg-Tangmarg road at 6 a.m. and the road is open for traffic and snow clearance was also done at Sedow and Hirpora which recorded a snow depth of almost 6 inches. Sonmarg-Zojila-Gumri road recorded around 6 to 10 inches of snow.
The vehicular traffic, officials said, was suspended on Bandipora-Gurez road, Kokernag-Simthen road and Kupwara-Tangdhar road owing to snowfall. The officials said that upper reaches including gateway to the valley, Qazingund, received 14 millimeters of rain while Banihal received 7.1 mm rainfall.
Kashmir witnesses a harsh four-month winter season beginning November when the minimum temperature across the valley mostly remains around the freezing point.
The summer capital Srinagar recorded 4.7 mm rainfall till late in the evening, officials said. The maximum temperature recorded in Srinagar was 8.2 degree Celsius while the minimum was recorded at 1.2 degree Celsius. The downpour in the city led to disruption of normal life with roads inundated.
Despite the inclement weather, all flights to and from the Srinagar airport including Hajj flights operated normally, officials said.
Meanwhile a high-level meeting was chaired by Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Dr Asghar Samoon, to take stock of the situation in view of the snowfall and rain forecast in the valley.
A Government spokesman said Chief Engineer Mechanical Engineering Department informed that the valley has been divided into three zones for snow clearance purposes. It said that central snow control room has been established at Shalteng in Parimpora which will be functioning round the clock. The contact number of the snow control room is 0194-2497458. Besides, snow control rooms have also been established by the respective Deputy Commissioners in their districts.
Director Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution Department, AW Tak, informed that there is adequate supply of LPG and other essential commodities. He said over 1 lakh cylinders of LPG are available in the valley.
The Divisional Commissioner advised the Power Development Department to keep its teams ready for tackling any power failure. He directed the Chief Engineer EM&RE that in case of any power failure the restoration of supply to hospitals and essential services including dewatering stations should be carried out immediately.

TRAVEL ADVISORY FOR HIGHWAY
GKNN ADDS FROM JAMMU: The Meteorological department has issued a travel advisory to the travellers on 300-km long Jammu-Srinagar highway following inclement weather conditions.
“Commuters on Jammu-Srinagar highway should take precautions while travelling in view of inclement weather conditions. If we follow the prevailing conditions, light rains will continue to hit Jammu region particularly Banihal and Udhampur areas,” Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) director, J&K, Dr Sonam Lotus told Greater Kashmir.
The director said there was every possibility that intermittent rains might trigger landslides at vulnerable areas on the highway. “People should take precautions while moving between Jammu and Srinagar for next couple of days. There are chances that light to moderate rains will continue till December 9 evening and weather will clear thereafter,” he said.
He maintained that the department predicts 15 to 60 mm rainfall between Banihal and Udhampur areas in next 48 hours. “Other areas of Jammu region will also experience light to moderate rainfall in next 48 hours,” the director added.
The winter capital of the state, however, experienced first winter showers on Wednesday, ending the long dry spell. Cold conditions in the city also intensified after rains, with maximum temperature dipping by 3 degree Celsius.
Light showers during early hours of the day in Jammu brought down the minimum temperature to 8 degree Celsius from 10.6 degrees.
Sources said that minimum and maximum temperatures hovered 3 to 5 notches below normal.
Cold winds accompanied by rains lashed Banihal, Bhaderwah, Batote, Katra in Jammu region recording rainfall of 7.0, 6.6, 4.2 and 4.0 degree Celsius respectively. The higher reaches of Kishtwar and Doda district also experienced light snowfall.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 6 Dec 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 6 Dec 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 7 Dec 2011 00:00:00 IST