Kashmir turns white after fresh snowfall

Srinagar and some other parts of Kashmir received fresh snowfall on Saturday, affecting the normal life and cutting the valley with the rest of the country. The valley had received snowfall for four consecutive days earlier in the week, draping everything in white.

The Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only road link between Kashmir and the rest of the country remained closed for traffic on the seventh day on Saturday, the officials informed. Also, fresh snowfall has affected the air traffic as no flight operations took place at the Srinagar airport. The air traffic would be restored as soon as the weather improves and the runway is cleared, they added.

Srinagar recorded four inches of snow till 8.30 am with the temperature as low of minus 4.0 degrees Celsius – down from minus 0.4 degrees Celsius the previous night, the officials said. The famous Dal Lake in Kashmir’s Srinagar has frozen owing to bitter cold wave that has gripped the valley.

Kashmir is currently under the grip of ‘Chillai-Kalan’, the 40-day harshest winter period when a cold wave grips the region, and the temperature drops considerably leading to the freezing of water bodies with the chances of snowfall as the most frequent and maximum.

‘Chillai-Kalan’ began on December 21 and will end on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that in Kashmir. The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day-long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold).

The Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the only road link between Kashmir and the rest of the country remained closed for traffic on the seventh day on Saturday, the officials informed. Also, fresh snowfall has affected the air traffic as no flight operations took place at the Srinagar airport. The air traffic would be restored as soon as the weather improves and the runway is cleared, they added.

Srinagar recorded four inches of snow till 8.30 am with the temperature as low of minus 4.0 degrees Celsius – down from minus 0.4 degrees Celsius the previous night, the officials said. The famous Dal Lake in Kashmir’s Srinagar has frozen owing to bitter cold wave that has gripped the valley.

Kashmir is currently under the grip of ‘Chillai-Kalan’, the 40-day harshest winter period when a cold wave grips the region, and the temperature drops considerably leading to the freezing of water bodies with the chances of snowfall as the most frequent and maximum.

‘Chillai-Kalan’ began on December 21 and will end on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that in Kashmir. The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day-long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold).