On Sunday, the extended dry period that had been in place for the previous two months was broken by light snowfall in Kashmir's highlands and light rainfall in the lowlands. The Himalayan valley's plains were soaked by small rainfall in certain places, and people expressed relief after the parched and dry slopes. In the upper reaches, tree tops were visible covered in snow.
The light to moderate snowfall that began in the morning at the Gulmarg ski resort in north Kashmir provided respite from the dry weather this winter and covered the sun-bleached and brown meadow with a thin layer of white snow. Due to climate change, Jammu and Kashmir saw a severe winter and a protracted dry spell with very little precipitation since December. The Union Territory only received 13 mm of precipitation in December of last year, far less than the average of 60 mm, according to the Srinagar meteorological center. December 2023 saw 17 mm of precipitation in Srinagar, compared to an average of 46 mm. So far, January has been mostly dry.
The upper regions of Kupwara and Bandipora districts, including Sadhna Pass, Farkiyan Gali, Z Gali of Machhil, and popular tourist destinations Bungas, Jumgund, and Kamkadi, also had snowfall. The summer capital of Srinagar saw a brief shower in the evening, and the plains of the northern Baramulla district received moderate showers.
In an update, the MeT stated that there was a chance of light to moderate rain or snow on Monday in a number of locations in J&K, with heavy snowfall possible in isolated upper regions of the Kashmir division, such as the districts of Kupwara, Baramulla, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Shopian, Anantnag, and Kulgam. According to the center, the same weather is expected to persist through February 4.
A meteorological advisory from the MeT stated that significant passes and higher-elevation highways, including Sinthan Pass, Mughal Road, Sadhna and Razdan Pass, Zojila, etc., may be temporarily closed due to the weather system. The MeT instructed farmers to stop applying fertilizer and irrigation during the aforementioned period, as well as to drain excess water from fields and orchards. Travelers are advised to make appropriate plans. According to the director of MeT, nighttime temperatures will climb during the aforementioned timeframe, while daytime temperatures will significantly drop.
