Srinagar : Foggy weather conditions led to delay in flight operations to and fro Srinagar airport even as day temperature recorded a plunge in Kashmir Valley on Friday following overnight snowfall.
Official sources told GNS that flight operations started at around 12 noon and as such flights scheduled in the morning were delayed by several hours. Also Mughal road, connecting twin districts of Poonch and Rajouri districts with Shopian. However, Srinagar-Leh Highway reopened and according to the traffic authorities, only one-way traffic, from Srinagar towards Kargil, shall be allowed.
A meteorological department official here told GNS that Srinagar reported 4.8°C, three degrees below normal while Gulmarg was coldest at minus 0.1°C. Most other places also reported below normal day temperature.
Sonmarg tourist resort in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district recorded highest snowfall of about 45 cm (20 inches) followed by Kupwara in north Kashmir (20cms, 7.87 inches), Gulmarg (16.5cm), Qazigund(15.0cm), Pahalgam(10.0cm), Kokernag (5.0 cm), and Srinagar (3.0 cm) in last 24 hours till 0830 hours, mostly late in the afternoon on Thursday, the meteorological department official told GNS.
Regarding ladakh, he said, Zojila received 60cm of snowfall, Drass (15 cm), Padum Zanskar (8cm), Kargil (7cm), Diskit Nubra (6cm), Khaltse (3cm) while Tangtse and Leh recorded traces of it.
Meanwhile most places recorded a rise in night temperature and for the first time in more than fortnight that mercury increased above normal in the Valley even though it hovered in sub-zero level.
Srinagar recorded a low of minus 0.3°C against last night’s temperature of minus 3.2°C. The temperature was 1.8°C above normal for the summer capital, the official said. Srinagar has so far seen the coldest temperature this season on December 25 when mercury plummeted to minus 5.8°C.
Qazigund recorded a low of minus 2.0°C against minus 3.2°C on the previous night. The temperature was 0.3°C above normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, he said.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 4.9°C against minus 4.5°C on the previous night. The minimum temperature was 0.3°C above normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, he said.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 2.0°C against minus 2.3°C on the previous night, he said. It was 0.7°C above normal for the place, he said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 5.5°C against minus 4.8°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 0.7°C above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the official said.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 0.8°C against minus 3.3°C on the previous night in the north Kashmir area, he said. The official said that the temperature was 1.7°C above normal.
Jammu recorded a low of 7.3°C against 6.0°C on the previous night. It was 0.1°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital which also remained engulfed in fog this morning, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of 0.8°C (above normal by 0.3°C), Batote minus 0.5°C (below normal by 2.7°C), Katra 6.5°C (0.1°C below normal) and Bhadarwah 1.8°C (2.4°C above normal).
In Ladakh, Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 10.2°C and 6.2°C respectively, the official said.
Kashmir is under Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day long harsh winter period that started on December 21 is in its infancy, it does not mean an end to the winter. It is followed by a 20-day-long period called ‘Chillai-Khurd’ that occurs between January 30 and February 19 and a 10-day-long period ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold) which is from February 20 to March 1.
Regarding the forecast, the MeT official said, mainly dry weather is expected with a fall in minimum temperature across J&K till january 8. (GNS)