Gulmarg amasses 20cm fresh snowfall as mercury drops in J&K, Ladakh

Srinagar: Mercury recorded a drop in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday amid rainfall in plains and snowfall over higher reaches.

In the last 24 hours till 0830 hours today, Gulmarg, the world famous skiing resort, received 20cm of snowfall, a meteorological department official here told GNS.

During the same time, he said, Srinagar received rainfall of 1.9mm, Qazigund 2.2mm, Pahalgam 4.6mm, Kupwara 10mm, Kokernag 0.6mm, Jammu 5.0mm, Banihal 8.2mm, Batote 12mm, Katra 15.2mm and Bhaderwah 22.4mm.

Regarding the temperature, he said, Srinagar recorded a low of 4.7°C against 5.4°C on the previous night. The temperature was 2.9°C above normal for the summer capital during this time of the year, he said.

Qazigund recorded a low of 5.0°C, the same as on the previous night. The temperature was 3.1°C above normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, he said.

In Pahalgam, the mercury settled at 2.8°C against 2.9°C on the previous night and it was 3.9°C above normal for the south Kashmir resort, he said.

Kokernag recorded a low of 3.7°C against 4.1°C on the previous night and it was 1.0°C above normal for the place, he said.

Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 2.0°C, the same as on the previous night and it was 2.2°C below normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at 3.0°C against 4.7°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 1.7°C above normal for the north Kashmir place, he said.

Jammu recorded a low of 14.2°C against 14.6°C on the previous night. It was 0.2°C above normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said. Banihal recorded a low of 4.6°C (normal), Batote 3.5°C (3.3°C below normal), Katra 10.6°C (below normal by 1.2°C) and Bhadarwah 3.4°C (below normal by 0.4°C).

In Kargil area of Ladakh, he said, mercury settled at minus 3.8°C, Leh saw a low of minus 1.1°C and Drass minus 3.4°C.

The weather department has forecast light to moderate rain/snowfall (over higher reaches) till November 11 forenoon but ruled out possibility of any major rain or snowfall during the spell.

From November 12-16, he said, the weather is expected to be “fair to partly cloudy”. (GNS)