Kashmir Braces for Winter Blast: Heavy Snowfall Forecast, Traffic Disruptions Hamper Travel
- Cautions about disruption of surface, air transport
- One-way traffic to be allowed today
Kashmir is preparing for a major snowfall forecasted from Thursday evening, which is expected to disrupt surface and air transport, officials said Wednesday. The Meteorological Centre in Srinagar has issued an advisory in anticipation of heavy snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir, warning of potential disruptions to transportation.
The weather is predicted to be partly cloudy with light snowfall in isolated higher reaches during Wednesday night.
“An active Western Disturbance is likely to impact Jammu and Kashmir and adjacent areas starting from the evening of February 29, with widespread moderate rain and snow expected from the night of February 29 to the afternoon of March 3, peaking on March 2,” they said. “This system is most likely to cause heavy to very heavy rain or snow over the Pir Panjal range and the middle and higher reaches of Kashmir division including Anantnag, Pahalgam, Kulgam, Sinthan Pass, Shupiyan, Pir Ki Gali, Sonamarg, Zojila, Bandipora, Razdan Pass, Gulmarg, Kupwara, and Sadhna Pass.”
This weather activity is likely to disrupt surface and air transport, including the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and other major roads in the middle and higher reaches of J&K.
The residents in snow-bound areas have been advised to avoid venturing into slippery and avalanche-prone areas. The authorities have warned of possible landslides, mudslides, and falling stones, especially in vulnerable areas.
The farmers have also been advised to suspend all agricultural operations during the first week of March. After a prolonged dry spell earlier this year, Kashmir has experienced two significant spells of snowfall in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, night-time temperatures in Kashmir improved and remained above normal in all major stations. The minimum temperature in Srinagar was recorded at 4.5 degrees Celsius, up from 1 degree Celsius the previous night, which was 3 degrees Celsius above normal.
Qazigund had a low of 2 degrees Celsius while Kokernag in south Kashmir settled at 1.1 degrees Celsius. Gulmarg remained the coldest place with a low of minus 5.6 degrees Celsius while Pahalgam settled at minus 2.6 degrees Celsius. Kupwara had a low of 1 degree Celsius.
Meanwhile, Shooting stones disrupted one-way vehicular movement near Mehar on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway on Wednesday. Besides single lane road stretches at several places between Nashri and Banihal sectors also affected the pace of traffic on the highway during the day.
The authorities said, “Amid intermittent tumbling of shooting stones on the Mehar-Cafeteria stretch of Ramban, the highway remained open. However, slow traffic movement was observed due to the breakdown of five heavy vehicles and single-lane road stretch at Dalwass, Mehad, Cafeteria, Gangroo, Hingni, Kishtwari Pathar besides poor road surface condition at several places between Banihal and Nashri tunnels during the day.”
“To evade shooting stones, light vehicles were diverted through Ramban old alignment road via Maitra to bypass the Cafeteria-Mehar stretch,” they stated.
An official late this evening informed that stones were still rolling from the hillock on the Mehar-Cafeteria stretch. Officials advised vehicle operators and commuters to cross this stretch with caution.
Meanwhile, the J&K Traffic Police Department issued a fresh advisory for Thursday stating that subject to fair weather and road conditions, only one-way traffic would be allowed to ply from Nagrota-Jammu towards Kashmir.
They said, “Cut-off timings for Srinagar-bound light vehicles have been fixed from 6 am to 1 pm from Nagrota-Jammu thereafter heavy vehicles stopped at Jakhani-Udhampur will be allowed to ply towards Kashmir up to 6 pm.”
They said no vehicle would be allowed to ply after cut-off timings on Thursday.
