Srinagar, Feb 28 (UNI) The flight operations at the Srinagar International Airport resumed while the strategic Srinagar-Jammu National highway and Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri road connecting Ladakh Union Territory remained closed due to accumulation of snowfall occurring across the Kashmir valley during the past 24 hours, officials said.
The flight operations at the Srinagar International Airports resumed after the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) cleared off the snow from the runway and improvement in the visibility allowed a flight SG 937 from Delhi to land at 11.12 am, Airport Director Javid Anjum said.
Traffic on Srinagar- Jammu Jammu National Highway is blocked due to snow accumulation between Ramsoo and Qazigund, shooting stones/landslides/mudslides between Nashri and NAVYUG Tunnel.
The BRO responsible for the maintenance of the highway have pressed its men and machinery to clear the snow from the high to make it traffic worthy.
Batote-Doda road was also closed due to landslides at Ragi Nalla. Moreover, Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri ,(SSG) Road connecting Ladakh and Bhaderwah-Chamba Road, Mughal road/ Sinthan road are also closed due to accumulation of snow, Jammu and Kashmir Traffic Police posted on X.
Srinagar and other parts of Kashmir valley experienced light to moderate snowfall overnight disrupting normal life. The weather is likely to improve from late afternoon.
The inclement weather persisted for the fourth consecutive day in the Kashmir valley with higher reaches experiencing yet another heavy spell of snowfall, while the plains have been lashed by light to moderate snowfall over the past 24 hours.
The Meteorological Centre Srinagar office said the ski resort of Gulmarg received the highest accumulation of 60.0 cm of snowfall followed by tourist resort of Pahalgam and picnic spot of south Kashmir 2323.0cm respectively and Qazigund 17.0cm, Kupwara 15 Cm and Srinagar 3.4cm respectively during the past 24 hours.
In the Union Territory of Ladakh Kargil, Drass and Zanskar received 30 cm of snowfall while most places of Khalsi, Sospul, Leh, Kharu, Nubra and Burbuk received 5 to 10 cm of snowfall overnight, officials said. It was still snowing at most places in Leh and some places in Zanskar and Kargil. The Weather is likely to improve late afternoon today.
The MeT office said the weather will generally remain cloudy with Light to moderate rain/Snow at many places with isolated heavy rain/Snow over Jammu Division.
It said the improvement over north and central Kashmir is expected from today afternoon and South Kashmir from late afternoon and Chenab Valley from evening/night.
There is a possibility of light rain and snow at isolated to scattered places during the next two day over Jammu and Kashmir while on March 3 light to moderate rain/Snow at many places can not be ruled out. The weather will remain dry from March 4 to 8.
The maximum temperature remained 3 to 6°C below normal in many parts of Kashmir valley and it was below normal also by 4 to 7°C in Jammu division.
Srinagar recorded a low of sub-zero temperature and it was 1.0°C below normal for the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir. The day temperature recorded on Thursday was 6.5°C and this was 5.5°C below normal.
The minimum night temperature also plunged to 2 to 4°C below normal in both Jammu and Kashmir. The lowest -2.0°C was recorded at the ski resort of Gulmarg in Kashmir valley and -0.2°C in Bhaderwah in Jammu division.
The Jammu and Kashmir School Board of education (JKBOSE) has decided to hold 11th class exams on schedule despite heavy snowfall, a communiqué said. “There is no change in the exam scheduled for today”, officials said.
However, Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) has postponed the 1st semester examinations scheduled for today.
The Controller of Examinations stated, "This is for the information of all concerned that 1st semester exams scheduled for 28-02-2025 are hereby postponed. The fresh dates for the said exams shall be notified later."
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