SRINAGAR: Weathermen on Wednesday predicted heavy snowfall for at least five days starting Saturday across Kashmir valley. Fresh snowfall began at many places across the valley including Srinagar, breaking the intense cold wave conditions. Pahalgam, tourist resort - which also serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra recorded three cm of fresh snow last night, an official a MeT official said. The night temperature rose across Kashmir owing to a cloudy sky, he said.
They said that a comparatively intense western disturbance is becoming active over Jammu and Kashmir from January 19 and will remain till January 23, peaking on January 22. The MeT officials said that under its influence moderate to heavy snowfall is likely to occur in the valley during this period. The minimum temperature in Srinagar rose over three degrees from minus 5.8 degrees Celsius on the previous night to settle at minus 2.1 degrees Celsius Tuesday night, the official said.
Meanwhile authorities have suspended all flights to and fro Srinagar airport following heavy snowfall. Many parts of Kashmir including capital city Srinagar received fresh snowfall Wednesday. The snowfall led to the suspension of air traffic, officials at the Srinagar airport said. Director, Srinagar Airport, said that all the flights operations were suspended for today due to fresh snowfall. “Except two flights all other flights stands cancelled till weather improves,” he said. Kashmir is currently under the grip of 'Chillai-Kalan', the 40-day harshest period of winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum and the temperature drops considerably.
'Chillai-Kalan' ends on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that in Kashmir. The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day long 'Chillai-Khurd' (small cold) and a 10-day long 'Chillai-Bachha' (baby cold).