More precipitation likely, temps to dip
Srinagar: Rain and fresh snowfall returned to several parts of Kashmir on Tuesday, ending a prolonged dry spell and bringing relief to residents and farmers across the Valley, while the Meteorological Department forecast intermittent precipitation in the coming days due to a series of weak Western Disturbances approaching the region.
Light rainfall was recorded in parts of central Kashmir, including Srinagar and Budgam, while several areas of north and south Kashmir witnessed moderate to heavy showers, officials said.
Higher reaches such as the Sonamarg–Zojila axis, Sinthan Top, Sadhna Top, Peer Ki Gali and Razdan Top received fresh snowfall during the night and early hours of Tuesday, leading to a drop in temperatures across the Valley.
The fresh snowfall forced authorities to suspend vehicular movement on the Bandipora–Gurez road after snow accumulation at Razdan Top made the high-altitude pass slippery and unsafe for traffic.
Officials said the road connecting Bandipora with the remote Gurez Valley has been closed as a precautionary measure and will be reopened once weather conditions improve and snow clearance operations are completed.
Razdan Top, located at an altitude of more than 11,000 feet, serves as the main road link between Gurez Valley and the rest of Kashmir through Bandipora district.
The tourist resort of Sonamarg in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district also witnessed fresh snowfall, blanketing the area and further bringing down temperatures.
Meanwhile, the Meteorological Department said the change in weather has been triggered by a series of weak Western Disturbances approaching Jammu and Kashmir, which are expected to keep the weather mostly cloudy and bring intermittent spells of rain and snowfall over the coming days.
The department said light rainfall was recorded in the plains and light snowfall in upper reaches on Tuesday as the weather began to change from March 10.
According to the MeT Department, another spell of precipitation is expected from Tuesday night till Wednesday morning, which may bring moderate rainfall in the plains and moderate snowfall in the hilly areas of north and central Kashmir.
A light spell of rain and snowfall is also likely between the morning of March 11 and March 12.
The department has further forecast another Western Disturbance around March 15–16 that may bring light rainfall and snowfall, followed by another system on March 17–18 likely to trigger similar weather activity.
Weather conditions are expected to remain generally cloudy till around March 20 with intermittent light precipitation and moderate snowfall in higher reaches, although no major weather system is currently anticipated.
Temperatures are expected to dip on March 10 and 11 and remain around four to six degrees below normal during this period before rising again after March 12, though the temporary drop is unlikely to have a significant impact as temperatures have been running above normal in recent weeks.
The change in weather comes after an unusually dry spell earlier this year. Meteorological data shows that almost the entire month of February remained dry, leading to a 90 per cent deficit in precipitation. When combined with January figures, the overall precipitation deficit stood at 66 per cent in the Kashmir division and 50 per cent in the Jammu division.
Reports from Ladakh said several parts of Kargil district received light to moderate snowfall after a prolonged dry spell, while rainfall was recorded in lower areas.
Snowfall was reported along the Zojila axis, the Barsoo region and the Zanskar valley, while Kargil town and adjoining lower areas witnessed rain, officials said. (With Inputs from KNO/KNT)
