Srinagar, Dec 27 (PTI) Breaking a prolonged dry spell, Srinagar and other areas in the plains of Kashmir received the season's first snowfall on Friday, draping the valley in white and bringing cheer to locals and tourists alike.
Under the influence of a western disturbance, light to moderate snowfall was recorded in most areas of Kashmir, including the plains, officials said here.
The snowfall began in the higher reaches in the morning, while the plains, including Srinagar, witnessed snowfall later in the afternoon, they said.
The much-awaited snowfall brought relief and joy to the people.
"We had been waiting for snow for a long time. The prolonged dry season had led to several difficulties for locals. It led to an increase in common ailments like cough and cold. Now, it will bring relief," Yawar Hussain, a local, said.
He said the snowfall would augur well for tourism as well as agriculture and horticulture sectors.
"We had low water levels, power generation was low and the absence of snow would have been bad news for our farmers and orchardists," Hussain said.
Tourists were thrilled to witness snow and many of them were seen playing and clicking photographs.
"This is a sight to behold. We are lucky to have witnessed snowfall in Srinagar. It feels surreal. It is a dream come true," Priya, a tourist, told PTI in Lal Chowk.
Another tourist, Pankaj Kumar, said he was having the best time of his life.
"Snowfall has made this trip more memorable. This is just amazing. It is magical. We are so happy to be here," he said.
Apart from Srinagar, the season's first snowfall was also recorded in the plains of Ganderbal, Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian and Pulwama districts.
Snowfall was also recorded in the famous ski resort of Gulmarg, tourist resorts of Sonamarg and Pahalgam, Gurez, Zojila axis, Sadhna Top, Mughal Road and many areas in Bandipora, Baramulla and Kupwara districts, the officials said.
There are reports of fresh snowfall in other higher reaches of the Valley as well.
Authorities have started snow clearance operations and control rooms have been established at every district headquarters to monitor the operations.
However, the snowfall led to the closure of the Srinagar-Leh Highway and the Mughal Road, the officials said.
They said the snowfall also affected the movement of traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, leaving around 2,000 vehicles stranded.
However, the officials said that after snow clearance, heavy vehicles were allowed to move and efforts were on to clear other stranded vehicles.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah also drove from Jammu, where he had gone to attend a function which was, however, rescheduled due to the demise of former prime minister Manmohan Singh.
"I drove from Jammu to Srinagar today. It snowed continuously from Banihal to Srinagar. The conditions were quite treacherous. I understand there are around 2000 vehicles stuck between the tunnel & Qazigund. My office has been in touch with the administration in South Kashmir. While snow clearance has been done the road is very icy. Heavy vehicles are being allowed to move & efforts are on to clear the rest of the stranded vehicles," Abdullah said in a post on X.
The inclement weather also impacted air traffic at the Srinagar airport as several late-afternoon flights were cancelled.
"All the flights from 4:30 pm onwards were cancelled due to bad weather leading to low visibility and snow accumulation on the runway," the officials said.
The snow also affected motorists as the slippery conditions made driving difficult.
The Kashmir University postponed all its examinations scheduled on Saturday because of the inclement weather.
Fresh dates for the postponed examinations will be notified separately, the university said.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said light intermittent snowfall would likely continue during the night.
The weather is likely to improve on Saturday forenoon, it added.
The minimum temperatures continued to settle several degrees below the freezing point, even as there was a slight increase in the night temperatures at most places of the Valley.
The intense cold conditions resulted in both the minimum as well as maximum temperatures staying below the normal for this time of the season.
The low temperature has led to the freezing of water supply lines and a thin layer of ice has covered the surface of several water bodies, including the Dal Lake.
Srinagar recorded a low of minus 7.3 degrees Celsius on Thursday night, slightly down from the previous night's minus 7 degrees Celsius, the Met department said.
Gulmarg, a town known for skiing activities in north Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 6 degrees Celsius, while Pahalgam, the base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra in south Kashmir, registered a minimum temperature of minus eight degrees Celsius.
Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir, logged a minimum temperature of minus 6.9 degrees Celsius, while Konibal, a hamlet in the Pampore area, was the coldest recorded place in the Valley at minus 9.5 degrees Celsius.
Kupwara, in north Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 6.4 degrees Celsius, while south Kashmir's Kokernag, registered minus 4.8 degrees Celsius.
Kashmir is currently under the grip of 'Chillai-Kalan' -- considered the harshest period of winter -- which began on December 21.
During the 40 days of Chillai-Kalan, the chances of snowfall are the highest and the temperature drops considerably.
It ends on January 30 next year, but the cold wave continues even after that in the Valley. The 40 days are followed by a 20-day 'Chillai-Khurd' (small cold) and a 10-day 'Chillai-Bachha' (baby cold).