Several high-altitude areas of Kashmir were covered in fresh snowfall on Sunday, while the Valley continued to face intense, bone-chilling cold.Fresh snow was reported from popular tourist and upper regions including Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Doodhpathri and Tangmarg, adding to the harsh winter conditions.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel
Earlier, officials at the Srinagar centre of the India Meteorological Department had said that Jammu and Kashmir would remain largely dry from January 3 to 5. They had also forecast cloudy weather on January 6, with a chance of light snowfall over isolated higher reaches of north and central Kashmir. From January 7 to 15, the weather was expected to stay partly cloudy.
However, residents said the snowfall came as a surprise and did not fully match earlier projections.
“They had mostly spoken about dry weather until January 15,” said Muhammad Amir, a local resident.
An IMD official clarified that rain and snowfall at isolated places had been mentioned in the department’s daily weather bulletin issued on Sunday morning.
“We had predicted rain and snowfall in the short-term outlook,” the official said.
Sharif Ahmad Dar, Manager at Hotel Grand Mumtaz in Gulmarg, told Greater Kashmir that snowfall began around 1 pm and continued on and off through the afternoon. By 6 pm, Gulmarg had received nearly two inches of fresh snow.
Despite the snowfall and biting cold, hoteliers said the tourist resort remained lively. Visitors were seen enjoying the fresh snow and winter views, while hotels reported steady occupancy and increased interest in snow-related activities.
Meanwhile, minimum temperatures across Kashmir dropped further on Sunday, pointing to a strengthening cold wave. Srinagar recorded a low of minus 3.2 degrees Celsius, down from minus 1.5 degrees Celsius a day earlier.
Other areas saw a sharper overnight fall. Qazigund recorded minus 4 degrees Celsius, compared to minus 2.6 degrees on Saturday, while Anantnag dropped to minus 4.6 degrees Celsius from minus 3 degrees Celsius.
Shopian and Gulmarg remained among the coldest places, registering minus 6 degrees Celsius and minus 6.5 degrees Celsius respectively. Pulwama recorded minus 5.1 degrees Celsius, down from minus 3.9 degrees Celsius.
The temperature at Srinagar Airport also fell to minus 4.2 degrees Celsius, compared to minus 2 degrees Celsius the previous night.
Most other districts, including Baramulla, Budgam and Kupwara, also reported lower minimum temperatures, highlighting the continued grip of severe cold across Kashmir.
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