J-K parts receive fresh snowfall, rains lash plains

SRINAGAR — The higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir received fresh snowfall on Tuesday while the rains lashed the plains in the afternoon, bringing the mercury down in the Valley.

According to the news agency KNO, the world-famous ski-resort Gulmarg, Sinthan Top, Mughal road, Zojilla and other places experienced fresh snowfall today. Affarwat hills in Gulmarg received two inches of snowfall in the evening, reports said.

Many parts including the plains of Kashmir also received rainfall in the evening due to which the mercury has plummeted across Kashmir.

MeT’s Deputy Director, Mukhtar Ahmad told KNO that as the Western Disturbance affected J&K today, some higher reaches received fresh snowfall and as per the forecast, another Western Disturbance is affecting the parts of Union Territory tomorrow.

“There is a possibility of fresh light snow/rainfall tomorrow (October 19) and on October 20 as well,” he said, adding that the weather would improve from October 20 afternoon gradually.

Stating that there is no forecast of a major wet spell till the next week, he said that the weather would remain mostly dry till the end of this month, but there are chances of light rainfall on October 27 as well. He added that as the light rain and snowfall brought the mercury down today, the temperature would go down by some degrees tomorrow as well.

Meanwhile, the fresh snowfall also led to the closure of Mughal road, connecting Shopian with Poonch and Rajouri districts this evening. “We have closed the road for vehicular traffic due to slippery road conditions in view of the snowfall,” an official said, adding that it will be open only after improvement in weather.