Kashmir skies clear after heavy snowfall

Suhail Khan

Srinagar, Jan 24: The Kashmir Valley witnessed an improvement in weather conditions on Saturday following a day of widespread heavy snowfall and gusty winds, even as night temperatures remained below the freezing point across the valley. The break in the inclement weather allowed for the resumption of flight operations at Srinagar International Airport after a day-long suspension.

A senior official at the Srinagar meteorological  department told Kashmir Convener that while higher reaches experienced intermittent snowfall till late Friday night, the weather cleared significantly from Saturday morning. He forecast light rain or snow at isolated places over the weekend.

He said another western disturbance is likely to affect Jammu and Kashmir from Monday night, potentially bringing light to moderate rain and snow to most places. Isolated heavy spells accompanied by thunder and gusty winds are possible from Monday night until Tuesday forenoon. The weather is expected to turn mainly dry but partly cloudy from Wednesday till February 3 he said.

The ongoing ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’ — the 40-day period of harsh winter cold that began on December 21 — continues to grip the Valley. On Friday night, Srinagar city recorded a minimum temperature of -1.4°C.

The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in Baramulla district was the coldest recorded place in J&K at -12.0°C, followed by Sonamarg in Ganderbal at -10.5°C. Pahalgam in Anantnag district, a base camp for the Amarnath Yatra, registered a low of -7.6°C. Qazigund recorded -4.2°C, Kokernag -6.2°C, and Kupwara -4.0°C he added.

Flight operations at Srinagar Airport resumed on Saturday morning after the Airports Authority of India (AAI), in coordination with the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), cleared accumulated snow from the runway, apron, and taxiways. All flights had been cancelled on Friday due to heavy snowfall and poor visibility.

An official at Srinagar airport told Kashmir Convener that “A joint inspection of the airfield was carried out before allowing flight movements to restart. Operations were normal and smooth through the day,”

He said that one IndiGo flight was cancelled early Saturday due to local weather, and a few others were cancelled owing to a NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) issued at Delhi Airport. Some flights experienced delays before normalcy was restored.

In contrast, surface connectivity on the vital Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) remained snapped for the second consecutive day due to slippery conditions and fresh snowfall in the Banihal sector and other high-altitude areas like Patnitop.

A traffic officer told Kashmir Convener that continuous snowfall has paralysed life in hill resorts of Jammu province, including Batote, and blocked several key roads. Besides NH-44, other affected routes include NH-244 in Doda and Kishtwar districts, the Mughal Road, Sinthan Pass, SSG Road, Zojila Pass, Razdan Pass, and Margan Top. “Efforts are on to restore at least one-way traffic by tomorrow,” the officer stated.

 Meanwhile, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Anshul Garg said restoration of essential services across the Valley was progressing rapidly. “All power stations are expected to be fully operational by tonight, with repair work on damaged lines continuing round the clock,” he said.

Snow clearance operations are ongoing on major and interior roads to ensure smooth traffic movement. Garg noted that both train and air services are now functional, reducing weather-related disruptions. He commended the public for their cooperation and praised the coordinated efforts of government departments in managing the situation.