Widespread heavy snowfall has been reported from various parts of Jammu & Kashmir with the summer capital Srinagar recording 25.8 mm of rain and snow in the past 24 hours. According to media reports, snowfall had led to about 18 inch thick layer of snow which closed Jawahar tunnel on the National Highway No. 1 that connects Jammu- the winter capital with Srinagar. Hundreds of vehicles reported to have queued up on the Highway. Jammu also recorded 39.8 mm of rain in this period.
The other areas where heavy rain and snow has been witnessed in the last 24 hours are, Banihal 70 mm, Batole 43.2 mm, Gulmarg 35. 4 mm, and Pahalgam 45.7 mm. Patnitop also witnessed a foot thick snow cover on the ground. Rain and snow will reduce over the state during the next 24 hours but would continue over Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
According to our forecast, with the Western Disturbance and the trough from the Arabian Sea to northwest plains are expected to shift a little eastwards, the areas of impact would be Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Manali, Keylong and Kalpa in Himachal Pradesh may witness snowfall during the next 24 hours. A 'trough' is a region of intensified moist winds.
Meanwhile, fall in night temperatures with northerly winds could kick-off cold wave like conditions in Jammu & Kashmir. Cold wave is a condition when minimums are 4-5 degrees below normal, at regions that are meant to have normal minimums of about 10ºC or lower. Prevalence of cold winds for longer periods, sometimes up three days, results in a gradual drop in night temperatures.
Photograph by Muzzyy
