Srinagar: It's snowing heavily in the Kashmir valley, as residents ushered in the season’s first snowfall on Sunday.
Earlier, the local meteorological department had predicted inclement weather in the next 24 hours.
However, snowfall also causes danger but thanks to the Vilgam Army Camp, located in North Kashmir’s Kupwara District, a pregnant woman's life was saved.
Heavy snowfall throughout the valley adversely affected vehicular movements and completely blocked the road. The soldiers carried the woman on a stretcher from Khanbal to PHC Vilgam in Kupwara District.
The plains received 3-6 inches of snow, but the middle and higher reaches of the Kashmir division got a substantial 8–12 inches.
The mercury has dropped several degrees below the freezing point here.
Srinagar itself recorded 5.3 cm of snow by 8:30 am, and the skiing resort recorded 20 cm of fresh powder.
The snowfall also disrupted normal life, and the authorities immediately took precautionary measures by canceling all flights to and from Srinagar.
The Kashmir Valley experienced a low of minus 0.7°C in Srinagar, bringing a chill to the air. Snow clearance operations have been carried out since the early hours to ensure that the roads are traffic-worthy. Moreover, authorities have advised motorists to drive carefully given the slippery roads. Monday is expected to bring partly to generally cloudy weather, possibly with light snow over isolated higher reaches. A dry spell is predicted from February 6 to 13.
Temperature variations were recorded across the region, with Srinagar at minus 0.7°C, Pahalgam at minus 3.5°C, and Gulmarg at minus 7.0°C. Despite the disruptions, the fresh snowfall has brought relief to locals, breaking the prolonged dry spell and increasing water levels in various water bodies.
Meanwhile, this week saw the first snowfall of the season in most parts of Kashmir, particularly the plain, but Chillai Kalan, the harshest winter period, remained snow-free. The 40-day-hardest winter season, known as Chillai Kalan, begins on December 21 and lasts until January 31 each year. However, due to atypical weather in the valley this winter, there was nearly no snowfall. Currently, the valley is experiencing a 10-day "Chilla-i-Bachha" (baby cold) after a 20-day "Chilla-i-Khurd" (little cold).
Read More
