Tourists Return To Kashmir After Fresh Snowfall Ends Long Dry Spell

After nearly two months of dry weather in the Kashmir Valley, light snowfall in the higher reaches brought relief and joy to the region, resulting in a significant increase in tourist activity on January 25-27.

Reports of snowfall were received from various areas, including Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Sonmarg, Gurez, Macchil, Karnah Doodpathri, and Shopian, with intermittent snowfall continuing.While there was slight drizzle in parts of Srinagar city before dawn, it was followed by bright sunshine.

Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature?0.5 degrees Celsius??

Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 0.5 degrees Celsius, marking a three-degree increase from the previous night. Other areas, including Pahalgam, Qazigund, and Gulmarg, also experienced temperature variations with the onset of the fresh snowfall.

Tourists were spotted enjoying the picturesque winter scenery of Daksum along the historic Mughal Road, engaging in snow fights and sledding on fresh snow carpets, as reported by Greater Kashmir.

Tourists are back in the valley

Heerpora, the last village on the Shopian side, received around 3 to 4 inches of snowfall, transforming the entire area into a winter wonderland. This marked the second snowfall of the season, attracting tourists from various parts of the country.

However, tourists were unable to proceed beyond Heerpora as the Mughal Road was closed due to heavy snowfall at Peer Ki Gali mountain. Some tourists even cancelled their return tickets upon learning about the change in weather.

The initial snowfall in November had brought an influx of tourists, but cancellations ensued when snowfall ceased in mid to late December, compounded by road closures.

Meanwhile, tourists thronged to Sinthan Top in Anantnag district, but overnight snowfall led authorities to restrict access beyond Daksum, a scenic spot along the route to Sinthan Top. Daksum captivated visitors with its panoramic views of snow-covered mountains and majestic pine trees.

Here, take a look at some of the videos from across J&K posted on Twitter.

Gulmarg

Tangmarg

Gurez

Shopian

Budgam

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted that starting Sunday, these weather systems will bring heavy snowfall to the area. This comes after a notably barren winter for the mountain peaks in the region, attributed to a lack of active western disturbances, which are typically responsible for bringing unseasonal rainfall to northwest India.

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