Fresh snowfall in the higher reaches of Kashmir and widespread rainfall across the plains disrupted normal life on Sunday, forcing the closure of key roads, officials from the Meteorological Department said.
The higher altitude tourist and mountain areas including Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Yousmarg, Gurez, Razdan Top and the Sonamarg-Zojila axis received light to moderate snowfall during the night due to the impact of a western disturbance.
Following the snowfall, authorities closed the Srinagar-Leh National Highway and the Bandipora-Gurez road as a precautionary measure to ensure commuter safety.
Meanwhile, the plains of the Kashmir Valley, including Srinagar, witnessed moderate and intermittent rainfall at many places.
The MeT department said the cloud cover contributed to a rise in minimum temperatures across the Valley. Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of 10.3°C, which is 3.8°C above the seasonal average. Night temperatures across most parts of the Valley were reported to be three to five degrees above normal.
The weather department has forecast more rain and snowfall accompanied by gusty winds till Monday night, with intermittent wet weather likely to continue into early April.
Farmers have been advised to temporarily suspend agricultural operations until the weather improves.
