The meteorological department Thursday predicted five-day-long spell of snow and rain in Jammu and Kashmir from Saturday, saying it is likely to disrupt the air and surface traffic.
Director meteorological department Sonam Lotus told Greater Kashmir that an active western disturbance is likely to affect the state and its adjoining areas from 19 to 25 January, with main activity from 20 to 23 January and gradual decrease thereafter.
“Under the influence of this system, moderate to heavy snow and rain is expected at widespread places of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh regions. Some places may receive very heavy rain and snow during this period. Light snowfall would commence at a few places of Kashmir on 19 January forenoon and increase in intensity and distribution thereafter,” Lotus wrote on his Facebook page.
He said that the snowfall may cause disruption in surface and air traffic.
Heavy precipitation may also lead to avalanches and landslides in higher reaches and water-logging in the low-lying areas, he said.
The Met director advised farmers to take all precautionary measures to avoid losses due to heavy snow and rain.
He also said that there will be significant fall in day temperatures but slight rise in night temperatures in coming days.
Kashmir received its first snow of the year on January 2, bringing respite in the chilly conditions. It was followed by widespread snowfall on January 5, which led to the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu highway and disrupted the air traffic as well. The Valley also witnessed another spell of snow on January 11.
J&K’s summer capital Srinagar received the season’s first snowfall on November 3 last year, setting the tone for wet weather early this season. It was after nine years that the City witnessed snowfall in the month of November, according to officials.
Meanwhile, a day after Kashmir experienced a spell of snow, the minimum temperatures across the Valley increased, while the flights from the Srinagar airport—which were disrupted yesterday—operated normally Thursday, officials said.
“All flights operated normally today,” senior superintendent of police (airport), Tahir Saleem Khan told Greater Kashmir.
Two additional flights also took off from the airport Thursday, he said.
The Srinagar-Jammu highway was open for traffic, senior superintendent of traffic police (rural), Muzaffer Ahmad Shah, told Greater Kashmir.
He said on Friday, vehicles would move from Srinagar towards Jammu subject to fair weather and good condition of the road.
A Met official said there was slight improvement in minimum temperatures across Kashmir.
The minimum temperature in Srinagar rose from minus 2.1 degree Celsius the previous night to settle at minus 1.3 degree Celsius on Wednesday night, he said.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of minus 0.2 degree Celsius, up from minus 2.9 degree Celsius the previous night, while as Kokernag town registered a low of minus 2.0 degree Celsius Wednesday night.
The mercury in Kupwara town in northern Kashmir settled at minus 1.5 degree Celsius, an increase of over four degrees from minus 5.6 degree Celsius the previous night. The ski-resort of Gulmarg in northern Kashmir recorded a low of minus 10 degree Celsius.
The tourist resort of Pahalgam in southern Kashmir recorded a low of minus 5.1 degree Celsius, down from the previous night’s minus 4.2 degree Celsius.
He said Leh, in Ladakh region, recorded a low of minus 12 degree Celsius, while the mercury in nearby Kargil settled at minus 20.2 degree Celsius.
Drass, the second coldest inhabited place in the world, was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir at a low of minus 22.0 degree Celsius, the Met official said.
WEATHER ADVISORY
The divisional commissioner Kashmir Thursday issued a weather advisory which said that moderate to heavy snow and rain is expected from 19-25 January at widespread places of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.
“Accordingly, deputy commissioners of Kashmir division including Leh and Kargil districts, have been asked to advise people not to venture in avalanche-prone areas during this period. The concerned deputy commissioners are directed to activate their control rooms and ensure that the snow clearance equipment is placed at proper places for snow clearance in respect of their districts as per the snow clearance plan,” an official spokesman said.