Kashmir gets season`s first major snowfall

Srinagar: The Kashmir Valley witnessed the season`s first major snowfall Thursday night, pushing the temperature below the freezing point in the region on Friday.

The minimum temperature at Gulmarg was minus 7.2 degrees Celsius, a weather official told a news agency. It was minus 5.2 at Pahalgam, minus 8.2 at Leh town and minus 5.2 at Kargil town. In Srinagar, however, the minimum temperature was 3.1 degrees Celsius. Higher areas in the Kashmir Valley received heavy snowfall. Around three-feet of snow accumulated in the tourist resort of Sonamarg. Gulmarg was covered with a two-feet blanket of snow Friday morning. Pahalgam too received over two-feet of snow. "The timely snowfall has replenished most of the snow reservoirs in the hills, which will ensure sufficient water discharge in the rivers, springs and other water resources in summer," an official here said. The weather office has forecast a clear weather in the valley the next two days. The western disturbance that was active over the state has now weakened. "The western disturbance has now weakened and we are expecting fair weather for the next few days," said Sonam Lotus, in-charge of the weather office here. The western disturbance is the term used for an extra tropical storm in the Mediterranean Sea, which causes sudden and heavy rainfall in Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh. IANS