Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Jan 4: Srinagar received season’s first snowfall this morning followed by light rain due to which temperature plunged to season’s lowest.
After light rain during hours, residents of Srinagar today woke upto a thin blanket of snow. It, however, melted quickly as it was followed by light rains. The snow and rains led to plummeting of day temperature in Srinagar settling at season’s lat 3.2 degree Celsius, five notches below normal.
Fresh snowfall was recorded from all upper reaches of the Valley including Gulmarg, Pir Ki Gali, Pahalgam, Jawahar Tunnel, Zojila, Sonamarg and along the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara.
According to Meteorological Department, light rain or snow would occur and the maximum and minimum temperatures would be around 6 degrees Celsius and minus 1 degree Celsius respectively in Srinagar during the next 24 hours. In other parts of the Valley, the MeT forecast light to moderate snow and rains.
Mughal road connecting south Kashmir with Poonch in Pir Panjal area remained closed on the third consecutive day today due to heavy snowfall. Srinagar-Leh highway also remained closed today due to snowfall.
Despite rains lash valley since last night, the Traffic Department today said that the traffic on 300 km long National Highway will ply on either side on Thursday.
The officials in the department said that subject to fair weather and good condition of road condition, traffic on Jammu -Srinagar National Highway will ply both ways but has issued an advisory as MET office forecast inclement weather to continue.
The Traffic Police issued cutoff timing for movement of vehicles on the highway with effect from tomorrow.
The cutoff timing for LMVs moving from Srinagar to Jammu cut at Lavdora, Qazigund will be 8 am to 3 pm, for HOVs from 8:30 am to 2:00 pm and for trucks carrying fruits it will be from 8:30 am to 3:00pm.
The Jammu to Srinagar cut off timing for Nagrota would be 3:00 am to 2:00 pm for LMVs, 3:00 am to 1:00 pm for HOVs and 3:00 am to 2:00 pm for oil tankers. The Udhampur cut off timing for LMVs will be 4:00 pm while for HOVs will be 3:00pm.
The snowfall and rains led to the dip in the day temperatures across Kashmir today.
Srinagar recorded the coldest day of the season today with day temperature plummeting to maximum of 3.2 degree Celsius.
Qazigund recorded 9.3 degree Celsius, Pahalgam 5.4 degree Celsius, Kokernag 10.8 degree Celsius, Kupwara 1.6 degree Celsius, Gulmarg minus 1. 0 degree Celsius and Leh 6 degree Celsius as maximum day temperature.
Jammu recorded a maximum of 19 degree Celsius, Katra 16.7 degree Celsius, Banihal 5.3 degree Celsius, Batote 7 degree Celsius and Bhaderwah 8.3 degree Celsius.
Srinagar recorded a low of minus 0.1 degree Celsius, Pahalgam recorded 0.2 degrees Celsius and Gulmarg minus 3.6 degrees Celsius.
Qazigund recorded a minimum of 3.6 degree Celsius, Kokernag 0.1 degree Celsius, Kupwara minus 0.9 degree Celsius and Leh town recorded minus 7.7 degree Celsius as the minimum temperature today.
Jammu city recorded 12.1 degrees Celsius, Katra 11.7 degrees Celsius, Batote 4.1 degrees Celsius, Banihal 3.4 degrees Celsius and Bhaderwah town witnessed 3.0 degrees Celsius as the night’s lowest temperature.