Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Feb 1: The Weatherman today forecast heavy snowfall in Kashmir valley and rains in Jammu region next week which may lead to closure of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.
Director Meteorological, Sonam Lotus, told Excelsior that next week Kashmir valley will experience heavy snowfall. He said that main activity of snowfall will start on February 4 and it will last up to February 7 morning.
Lotus said that cloudy weather will prevail tomorrow with light snowfall on the upper reaches of Kashmir valley. He said that on February 3 there will be light snowfall in Kashmir valley.
The Director said that from February 4, heavy snowfall will occur in Kashmir valley especially in Pir Panjal mountains. He said that heavy snowfall may close the Jammu-Srinagar national highway for traffic.
In Jammu, there will be rainfall during next week and it will bring down the temperatures across the region.
Lotus said that there are on an average 4-5 Western Disturbances (WDs) that affect Western Himalayan Region (WHR) and adjoining plains of northwest India in the winter months of January and February. Under favourable meteorological conditions, they cause heavy to moderate snowfall over high reaches and rain with hailstorm in low lying areas.
Meanwhile, cold returned to Kashmir after two warm days. The mercury plummeted in Kashmir valley where Gulmarg registered a drop of over eight degrees in its minimum temperature.
The MeT office said that the ski resort in North Kashmir recorded a low of minus 10.6 degree Celsius.
The minimum temperature in Srinagar was minus 1.4 degrees Celsius, which was lower by over two notches from the previous night’s 1.8 degree Celsius, while the mercury in South Kashmir’s Pahalgam settled at minus 4.4 degree Celsius. The hill resort had recorded minus 3.6 degrees the previous night.
The minimum temperature in the highway town of Qazigund, South Kashmir, was minus 3.6 degree Celsius as against minus 1.4 degrees yesterday.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 1 degree Celsius, up from minus 1.5 degrees the night before, while Kupwara town in north Kashmir was at minus 1.7 degree Celsius after 0.7 degrees the previous night.
Night temperatures improved in Ladakh where a jump of five notches saw the minimum in Leh rise to minus 7 degrees after minus 12.2 degree Celsius the previous night.
The night temperature in Kargil settled at a minimum of minus 8 degrees as Celsius against minus 13.6 degree Celsius yesterday.
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