Temps fall after improvement in weather
Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Dec 14: As the traffic was restored on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44) after clearance of stranded vehicles, the Srinagar-Leh NH continues to remain shut and the Border Roads Organization (BRO) has launched massive snow clearance operation to thrown it open.
The traffic was allowed to ply from Jammu to Srinagar on the NH-44 after the stranded vehicles were cleared from the Highway towards Srinagar. However, no traffic was allowed from Srinagar to Jammu today and the Highway will remain open for one-way traffic from Srinagar to Jammu tomorrow.
Srinagar-Leh National Highway that was closed for traffic after heavy snowfall in Zogila area remained closed today. However, the BRO has launched a massive snow clearance operation in Zogila sector so that the highway is thrown open for traffic.
The Mughal road that was also closed after heavy snowfall in Pir Panjal mountains continues to remain shut. Sources said that the chances of re-opening of the highway are bleak.
In the meantime, barring border areas of Machil and Gurez, all mountain passes connecting remote areas, including those near the Line of Control (LoC), were reopened today for traffic in North Kashmir after remaining closed for four days due to heavy snowfall.
Phurkiyan and Sadhna pass, besides Z-Gali which connect many far-flung and remote villages, including those near the LoC to district headquarters Kupwara, reopened for traffic after remaining closed due to accumulation of heavy snow and avalanche threat for four days.
Traffic was also plying normally on Kupwara-Tanghdar and Kupwara-Karnah roads. However, Machil sector remained cut off from the rest of the Valley as heavy snow remained accumulated so was the Gurez sector.
In the meantime, with the improvement in weather, the night temperatures dropped further in Kashmir intensifying the cold wave conditions.
The Director Meteorological Department, Sonam Lotus, said that minimum temperatures are likely to drop further during the next one week as the weather is likely to remain dry.
Although minimum temperatures remained below the freezing point throughout the Valley and Ladakh region, it was Gulmarg, which was the coldest at minus 10.6 degrees Celsius. Pahalgam recorded minus 9.7 degrees Celsius, Leh minus 5.9 degrees Celsius and Kargil minus 9.9 degrees Celsius.
The day temperatures in Srinagar, Qazigund, Pahalgam, Kupwara, Kokernag, Gulmarg, Leh and Kargil remained 10.3 degrees Celsius, 7.6 degrees Celsius, 5.4 degrees Celsius, 11.3 degrees Celsius, 6.9 degrees Celsius, 5 degrees Celsius, minus 0.1 degrees Celsius and minus 2.0 respectively.
In the Jammu region, Jammu city recorded 7.4 degrees Celsius, Katra 5.4 degrees Celsius, Batote minus 1.2 degrees Celsius while Banihal and Bhaderwah recorded minus 1.6 degrees Celsius. The day temperatures at these places was recorded at 21.4 degrees Celsius, 17.0 degrees Celsius, 9.4 degrees Celsius, 9.3 degrees Celsius and 7.0 degrees Celsius respectively.
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