Fresh snowfall and rain in parts of Kashmir

The famous tourist resort of Gulmarg experienced fresh snowfall while Srinagar and other parts were lashed by rains under the impact of western disturbance -- the main system affecting weather in Jammu and Kashmir.

The Western Disturbance hit the region in the wee hours of Saturday and will remain active during the next three days, prompting the weather department to warn inhabitants of heavy rain or snow at isolated places during the next 24 hours. 

As a precautionary measure, the state administration has issued a medium danger avalanche warning and advised people living in the high altitude areas to exercise retrain and avoid avalanche prone areas. 

"Western Disturbance has become active as wide spread rain or snow is expected on March 2. Heavy rain or snow may occur at isolated places over the state during the next 24 hours," an official at the local MeT department said in Srinagar.

The schools in the valley and winter zone of Jammu are scheduled to reopen on March 2 after the authorities extended the winter vacation by a week.

The schools were closed for winter vacation since November last year.

He said Gulmarg, Pahalgam and other high altitude areas of the valley experienced fresh snowfall, ranging between five cms to over two inches since

the wee hours of Saturday.

Gulmarg, the star attraction for tourists especially skiers from the country and abroad, recorded a fresh 1.5 inches of snowfall till this morning, the spokesman said, adding Pahalgam and Kokernag in south Kashmir experienced around five cms of snowfall during the night. 

Reports of heavy snowfall was also reported from 3880 metre high holy cave shrine of Amarnath in south, Aferwath, Kangdoori and Khilanmarg, Sadna top, Z-Gali in north, Yousmarg and Zojilla pass along Srinagar-Leh national highway, officials said.

Srinagar and other plains were lashed by light rains early Saturday.

Owing to cloud cover, the night temperature at most places in the valley appreciated by almost three degrees, but the minimum temperature recorded a drop in the cold desert of Ladakh. 

Gulmarg was the coldest recorded place in the Valley with a low of minus 6.4 degrees Celsius -- marking an increase of three degrees compared to the previous night, the weather office said. 

Kargil was the coldest recorded place in the state with a low of minus 8.7 degrees Celsius, while the nearby Leh was freezing at minus 7.8 degrees Celsius as against the previous night's minus 5.2 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperature in Srinagar rose to settle at 3 degrees Celsius. The city had recorded a low of 0.6 degrees Celsius the previous night, the spokesman said.