Suhail Khan
Srinagar, Jan 30: After years of below-normal snowfall, Kashmir received substantial snow this week, easing water concerns and bringing cautious optimism among farmers, even as snow accumulation continued to affect daily life in several rural areas of the Valley.
Mukhtar Ahmad, Director of the IMD in Srinagar, told Kashmir Convener that the heavy snowfall in the upper reaches has isolated numerous remote communities during Chillai Kalan, the harshest 40-day winter period. High-altitude areas, including Gurez, Tangdar, Kupwara, Peer ki Gali, and the critical Zojila Pass, continue to face roadblocks, with remote villages buried under 2 to 8 feet of snow.
Authorities have managed to reopen the strategic NH44, the Srinagar-Jammu highway. However, other national highways connecting Kashmir to the rest of the country, along with several crucial inter-district link roads, remain blocked, cutting off access to many areas.
Ahmad said the snowfall was accompanied by fierce windstorms, which at one point collapsed the power grid, plunging large swathes of the Valley into darkness. Power has since been restored after hectic efforts.
Director Mukhtar added that the massive snow accumulation, now exposed to sunlight, has triggered significant avalanche threats. Multiple avalanches have been reported, including a major one in Sonamarg on January 27 and another in Kishtwar on January 29. Authorities have issued urgent advisories, warning residents to avoid high-risk hilly terrains.
He further stated that temperatures have plummeted sharply due to the snow cover, with Sonamarg recording a low of -10.6°C and Gulmarg -9.0°C, exacerbating hardships for the local population. He forecasts dry weather to persist until January 31. However, a fresh western disturbance is predicted to bring more rain and snow to the region on February 1 and 2.
The recent spells of snowfall this month have brought much-needed respite. The Jammu and Kashmir meteorological subdivision had recorded a 39% rainfall deficit between October 1 and December 31, 2025, continuing a trend of largely dry winters in recent years, barring 2019–20.
He noted that the Valley, particularly its higher reaches, received significant snowfall during Chillai Kalan after several years. “The rainfall deficit in the Valley has now reduced to around 31 percent. More spells are expected in the coming days. We will have to see how the situation evolves,” he said, adding that rainfall deficit levels in the Jammu division have reduced to near-normal following recent rain.
He described the snowfall as “significant,” noting it would allay fears of water scarcity in summer by rejuvenating water bodies and glaciers. Kashmir has recently witnessed increasingly erratic weather, including prolonged dry spells, intense rainfall, and record heat last year, which triggered a growing water crisis.
Earlier this week, taking note of public distress, the Jammu & Kashmir administration suspended several employees of the Public Works (R&B) Department for alleged delays in snow clearance operations, which compounded the misery.
Earlier, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the snowfall would benefit tourism, as visitors had been eagerly awaiting snow, and would help avert a drought-like situation. “If we had not received this snow, there would have been a very severe shortage of water during the summer,” he said.
The horticulture sector, a backbone of the local economy, has also welcomed the snowfall. Javid Ahmad, president of the Pulwama Fruit Association in south Kashmir, said, “We have witnessed this kind of snowfall after a long time. It will help boost apple production this year.”
Notably, the Kashmir Valley was in the grip of a critical and worsening water crisis, driven by a severe and protracted deficit in precipitation that scientists warned signalled a broader climatic shift. This emerging “silent emergency” threatened not only the region’s famed landscapes but also the foundations of its economy and food security.
Before the snowfall, an alarming 83% shortfall in rainfall—categorized as “very low”—had drastically reduced flows in the region’s rivers, tributaries, and natural springs, jeopardizing water supplies across all ten districts. However, snowfall subsequently returned to the region.
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