The Kashmir Valley on
Sunday got covered in a thick blanket of snow as higher reaches received moderate
snowfall, disrupting valley’s ground and airs connectivity with the
whole country, officials told news agency PTI. 

They said that some areas in North Kashmir experienced light snowfall whereas most
areas in central and south Kashmir experienced moderate snowfall. The higher
reaches of the valley received moderate to heavy snowfall.

“As of now, snowfall of
same intensity is likely to continue till afternoon and there will be a
temporary break till evening,” the officials mentioned to news agency PTI.

Srinagar received about three
to four inches of fresh snowfall, whereas Qazigund, also known as the gateway
town to the valley in south Kashmir recorded around nine inches of snowfall.
Pahalgam tourist resort saw five to six inches of snow, while Kokernag about
nine inches.

The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg
in north Kashmir recorded four inches of fresh snowfall, while the areas around
Jawahar Tunnel on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway recorded about ten inches
of snowfall.

Also read: Jammu-Srinagar National Highway closed after overnight snowfall, landslides

The recent snowfall has resulted in suspension of traffic on the highway. “Highways was
closed for traffic movement due to heavy snowfall around Jawahar Tunnel”, said
a Traffic Control Room official to PTI.

All flights were cancelled due to accumulation
of snow on the runway, an official at the Srinagar Airport told PTI.

Following the snowfall,
the minimum temperature improved across the valley but still remained below the
freezing point. Srinagar city — the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir —
recorded a low of minus 1.5 degrees Celsius — up from the previous night’s
minus 5.9 degrees Celsius while the mercury at Gulmarg improved from the
previous night’s low of minus 7.5 degrees Celsius to reach at a low of minus
5.0 degrees Celsius on Saturday night, informed the officials.