Higher reaches receive snow

Excelsior Correspondent

SRINAGAR, Nov 15: The higher reaches of Kashmir valley including the ski resort of Gulmarg experienced snowfall today, officials said.
Mountains of Affarwat in Gulmarg were dressed in white much to the delight of the tourists staying there. The plains of Gulmarg were lashed by rain and snow together resulting in a further drop in the day temperature.
The Bandipora-Gurez road in north Kashmir was closed for vehicular traffic as a precautionary measure amid snowfall at Razdan Top.
Reports of light snowfall were also received from the higher reaches of north Kashmir Kupwara and Zojila Pass on the strategic Srinagar-Ladakh highway.
The Meteorological Centre Srinagar predicted that the weather will remain generally cloudy with the possibility of light rain/light snow over higher reaches and at many places of Kashmir and a few places of Jammu division during the next 24 hours.
The MeT office has also issued an advisory keeping in view the inclement weather, saying that there is a possibility of temporary disruption of surface transportation due to light snowfall over Zojila, Razdan Pass, Sadhna Pass, Sinthan Top and Mughal Road.
It has also advised Tourists/Trekkers/travellers to plan their trip accordingly during the period.
There is a possibility of light rain and snow on higher reaches and at scattered places on November 16 also and thereafter the weather is likely to improve, the MeT office said adding the weather will generally remain dry from November 17 to 23.
It said on November 24, there is a possibility of another light rain and light snow over the higher reaches and at the isolated places of Jammu and Kashmir.
Srinagar and its adjoining areas experienced a cold breeze coupled with a cloudy sky and shallow fog engulfed around on Friday.
The minimum temperature recorded during the intervention night of Wednesday and Thursday in Srinagar was 4.2 degrees Celsius and it was 2.9 degrees Celsius above normal while the maximum temperature recorded the other day was 2.0 degrees Celsius above normal of 17.6 degree Celsius, the MeT office said.