Photos: Jammu and Kashmir Receive Season's First Snowfall After Long Dry Spell

Fresh snow brought happiness to tourists and locals alike after the Valley witnessed a two month long dry spell.

Fresh Snow brought happiness to the faces of tourists and locals after the valley witnessed a two month long dry spell amid ‘Chillai Kalan’ -  the harshest period winter.

(Photo: Hilal Shah/Altered by The Quint)

After a gap of over two months and one of the longest dry spells, the Kashmir valley received a season’s first snowfall in its higher reaches and tourist destinations like Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg.

Fresh Snow brought happiness to the faces of tourists and locals after the valley witnessed a two month long dry spell amid ‘Chillai Kalan’ -  the harshest period winter.

The famous skiing resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded light to moderate snowfall and  witnessed a huge rush after it was closed with white blanket of snow.

Due to the impact of climate change, Jammu and Kashmir have been undergoing an extended dry spell during the harsh winter, with minimal precipitation since December.

The Srinagar meteorological center reported that the Union Territory received only 13mm of precipitation in December last year, significantly below the average of 60mm. In Srinagar, the precipitation was 17mm in December 2023, compared to the usual 46mm. January has largely remained dry thus far.

While upper reaches of Kupwara and Bandipora districts, including Sadhna Pass, Farkiyan Gali, and popular tourist destinations like Bungas, Jumgund, and Kamkadi, witnessed snowfall, the plains of northern Baramulla district experienced moderate rains.

In an update, the Meteorological Department mentioned that on Monday, there is a possibility of light to moderate rain/snow at various places in Jammu and Kashmir, with heavy snowfall expected over isolated higher reaches in the Kashmir division, including Ganderbal, Shopian, Anantnag, and Kulgam districts.

However, due to snowfall, Mughal Road, connecting Poonch and Rajouri districts to Srinagar has been closed to vehicular traffic.

As the dry spell ends in Kashmir, Baramulla also receives heavy snowfall. A local can be seen heading back to his home amid heavy snowfall in the Rafiabad area of Baramulla. 

The weather forecast suggests that the temperature in Baramulla might go as low as -5 °C with chances of 3-6 cm of snowfall from late Friday night to Saturday afternoon. In the photo, brothers, Danish and Haroon, can be seen playing and enjoying the snow.

The snowfall brought with it a sense of tranquillity and beauty, turning the valley into a serene tableau. 
The captivating and picturesque snow-capped trees where the branches and foliage of trees are coated with a layer of snow in Baramulla district.

The heavy snowfall has also blocked several roads in the valley. The road heading towards famous tourist spot Munddaji Rafiabad was blocked due to snowfall.

Snowfall can have both positive and negative effects on apple farming depending on the amount and duration of snow. While a layer of snow acts as an insulation protecting trees and their roots from extreme cold temperatures, excess snow weighs down the branches leading them to break. So, this weather is also critical for the apple farmers as one of them can be seen clearing the snow from an apple tree.