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Srinagar, Nov 5 (IANS) It rained in the plains and the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir received the season’s first snowfall on Wednesday, breaking the prolonged dry spell.
Gulmarg, Sonamarg and other higher reaches of Kashmir recorded the season’s first snowfall in the last 24 hours as weather department officials said the weather is expected to clear by noon today.
“2 inches of snowfall was recorded on the ground in Sonamarg, 1-2 inches in Gulmarg and Peer Ki Gali on Mughal Road, 5-6 inches in Sinthan Pass, while 6 inches in Sadhna Top. Rainfall occurred in the plains of the valley and this has ended the dryness caused by lack of rainfall during the last month,” Met department officials said.
Officials said that the weather is likely to remain dry in Jammu and Kashmir during the next 10 days.
Local people in the valley have started wearing woolen clothes, while people living in rural areas are protecting themselves from the cold by wearing loose tweed overgarments called ‘Pheran’.
The winter attire being worn without exception in Kashmir these days indicates that the cold winds blowing into the valley from the snow-capped mountain peaks may bring down the night temperatures further in the coming days.
Traffic on the Srinagar-Leh highway has been suspended due to heavy snowfall in the Zojila Pass connecting Kashmir with the Ladakh region.
Doctors have cautioned people, especially the elderly and children, not to expose themselves to cold air, as this is the main cause of chest ailments during the winter months.
“Protect yourself with a woolen muffler or any other wrapped cloth while stepping out of your homes in the morning. Children and the elderly should use lukewarm water and avoid cold food and cold drinks,” Valley’s chief pulmonology doctor Naveed Nazir Shah told IANS.
School managements have been advised to ensure that morning assemblies are held either in assembly halls or not until the day gets warmer.
Winter in Kashmir holds special attractions for tourists interested in winter sports or spending a few days in the serene, calm atmosphere of the valley’s hill stations like Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Pahalgam. Centrally heated rooms with 24/7 hot water in these hill station hotels ensure homely comfort to their guests. Tourists get the best holiday in the country in winter in Kashmir with affordable boarding, accommodation and transportation facilities.
As Kashmiris are prepared to face the harsh cold during the coming months, their warmth increases manifold to welcome tourists during the winter season.
–IANS
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