Heavy snowfall predicted from Today

Aadil Bhatt:
Srinagar: While most places in Kashmir valley witnessed rise in minimum temperatures, the weatherman has forecasted heavy snowfall from Thursday afternoon to Sunday while as fog led to delay in flights to and fro Srinagar on Wednesday. “A fresh Western Disturbance was going to hit the Jammu and Kashmir divisions and under its influence, heavy snowfall is likely to occur from January 13 at isolated places and the weather is like to stay till January 16,” A R Zargar acting Director Meteorological Centre here said. The WD, he said, will result in moderate rain or snow fall at many places during the time. Overnight, he said, Pahalgam, one of the world famous hill resorts in valley, recorded a low of minus 2.5 Deg Cel against 5.6 deg Cel on previous occasion. The other south Kashmir areas, Qazigund and Kokernag, recorded minimum temperature at minus 4.4 deg Celsius and minus 2.3 deg Celsius respectively. Kupwara, the frontier district in north Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 1.7 deg Cel while Srinagar, the summer capital of the state witnessed minimum of minus 0.5 deg Cel. Gulmarg, the world famous ski resort in northern Kashmir’s Baramulla district, continue to reel under intense cold conditions and was coldest in entire Valley despite a rise by few notches last night. The ski resort recorded at minus 8.5 deg Cel against 8.7 deg Cel on previous night. The MeT said that Leh recorded low of minus 17.1 deg Cel against 15.2 deg Celsius previously. Kargil, the second most inhabited area in the region, recorded minimum of minus 15.0 deg Celsius against 16.0 deg Celsius on previous occasion, the official added. Meanwhile, due to the fog many flights to and fro from Srinagar were delayed by several hours. An official of the spicejet airlines said that Delhi to Srinagar flight via Jammu was delayed by about 2 and half hours due to fog at all three stations this morning. Similarly, an official of Indian Airlines that Jammu to Srinagar flight was delayed by an hour due to the weather conditions.