Jammu and Kashmir snowfall: Srinagar and parts of Kashmir received fresh snowfall on Thursday (February 27), while the higher reaches of the valley received moderate to heavy rainfall. The snowfall continued in many areas until the last reports came in. Light snowfall started in Srinagar and other plains of Kashmir in the evening, the officials said adding that the plains had been lashed by intermittent rains in the last 24 hours.
Mughal Road receives snowfall
Gulmarg, Sonamarg, and Pahalgam received fresh snowfall, bringing joy to tourists, they added. Razdan Top and Gurez in Bandipora, Sadhna Top, Handwara and Kupwara in north Kashmir's Kupwara district and Mughal Road in Shopian also received fresh snowfall.
Other high-altitude areas that received snowfall include Zojila Pass, Sinthan Top and Amarnath Cave. Many inter-district roads in the higher reaches, including the Srinagar-Leh highway, were closed due to snow accumulation.
The Srinagar-Jammu national highway was open for traffic during the day, but due to snow accumulation at a few places and shooting stones, the road was closed for traffic in the evening, the officials said.
Jammu: 2 dead amid rains on plains and snowfall in higher reaches
Two persons, including a boy, were killed in separate rain-related incidents as the higher reaches of Jammu witnessed snowfall, while the plains were lashed by rains for the second day on Thursday. The traffic on the Jammu-Srinagar highway was suspended in the evening following shooting of stones at several places, while a couple of avalanches also hit the upper reaches of Kishtwar district but caused no damage.
A boulder hit a sports utility vehicle (SUV) near Dherian Ziyarat in the Surankote area on the Jammu-Poonch national highway in the evening, resulting in the death of the driver. They said a 14-year-old boy drowned while attempting to cross a swollen stream near his home at Sangore-Tuli in Reasi district.
A traffic department official said all types of vehicular movement were stopped at 7:00 pm from both ends on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway in view of continuous heavy rain and shooting stones at many places between Nashri and Banihal in Ramban district.
Avalanches hit Beighpura-Kamsui village in the Inderwal area and Pinjari near Dachhan in the Kishtwar district but there was no report of any damage, the officials said, adding that the higher reaches of Kishtwar, Ramban and Doda districts experienced moderate snowfall.
Village in Bandipora hit by snow avalanche
A snow avalanche occurred in the Khandyal village of Gurez valley in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday afternoon. This affected many residential houses in the region. According to the officials, one house was damaged by the avalanche, but there was no immediate report of injuries or casualties. The officials further stated that teams of revenue officials have been sent to assess the damages and have advised the residents to remain alert until the snowfall in the region continues.
A press release said the Gurez Valley has received 4 to 5 feet of fresh snowfall, while the Tulail region has received six inches. Other than the avalanche in the valley, the other regions of Jammu and Kashmir are experiencing constant rains and snowfalls. There has been constant rain in the Udhampur district over the past two days and as per the India Meteorological Department, the same situation is expected to continue until February 28.
Srinagar receives 'constant snowfall'
Apart from Udhampur, Srinagar received a fresh spell of constant snowfall, and as seen in the visuals, the locals carried umbrellas to protect themselves from the snow. The plain areas of the Kupwara district, such as Muqamishahwali and Drugmulla received fresh snowfall on Thursday, just like Srinagar.
The IMD issued an orange alert in the four districts of Himachal Pradesh on February 27 and as per senior scientist of the Shimla-based IMD, Sandeep Kumar Sharma, the 'western disturbance' has caused an increase in snow and rain activity in the state. On February 27, the India Meteorological Department issued an orange alert of heavy rain and snowfall in the Chamba, Kangra, Kullu and Mandi districts.