Heavy snowfall has started on the mountains. An active Western Disturbance over the next four-five days will affect the hilly states of North India and there will be widespread rain and snowfall from Jammu and Kashmir to Gilgit, Baltistan, Muzaffarabad, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh. Weather in Uttarakhand will also be active during this period and there will be snowfall in high altitude areas with light to moderate rainfall at many places.
Due to the Western Disturbance present near Kashmir, on December 8 too, widespread rainfall and snowfall were recorded at many places in Jammu and Kashmir. Light to moderate rainfall activity was observed at some places in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Ladakh, during this period. During the next 24 hours, the system will continue to have an impact on all these hilly states. Snowfall is likely to occur in Srinagar, Gulmarg, Kulgam, Pahalgam, Qazigund, Shimla, Dharamsala, Una, Mandi Lahaul Spiti, Kedarnath, Badrinath, Yamunotri and Gangotri. Due to this, routes can be closed at all places including Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, Mughal Road. Avalanches and landslides are also feared in some areas, leading to the blocking of traffic.
On December 10, there will be a break in the rain and snowfall on the mountains. After that, a new Western Disturbance will again reach close to North India and this system will remain active for at least 48 hours in a wide range. On December 11 and 12, heavy rain and snow will be seen on the mountains again. Due to the incessant rain and snowfall, many cities of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh will be the ones where the minimum temperature can fall below 0, while after four to five days, the cold winds will show their effect and the night temperature will fall significantly.