Rain, Snow end dry spell in Kashmir valley

There was snowfall in the higher reaches of the Kashmir valley today while rain lashed the plains, breaking a long spell of cold and dry conditions ahead of the 40-day “Chillai Kalan”, less than two weeks away.
The plains in the Valley received rain since early in the morning while the upper reaches received snow. The downpour led to respite from the freezing cold after nights with sub- zero temperatures.
The Meteorological Department forecast widespread rain in the Valley and snowfall in the upper reaches during the next two days.
The downpour since this morning led to the blocking of various road links while the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only surface link to the Valley, remained open to traffic. The 84-km Mughal Road via Shopian, connecting the Kashmir valley with Rajouri district of the Jammu region, was closed due to accumulation of over two feet of snow on Peer ki Gali top.
The Srinagar-Leh highway was closed to traffic this afternoon. Traffic was allowed from Drass to Srinagar this morning, but was stopped in the afternoon due to slippery condition following rain and snowfall. The Bandipora-Gurez and Anantnag-Kishtwar roads were closed due to snowfall in Razdhan Pass and Simthan Top, respectively.