New Delhi: Heavy snowfall in the higher
reaches lowered the temperature in parts of north India today
even as the Jammu-Srinagar national highway remained closed
for the third day and intermittent rains accompanied by
hailstorms revived cold conditions in Rajasthan.
High altitude areas of Jammu and Kashmir experienced up to
five feet of snow while heavy rains lashed the plains.
The 300-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway, the only
surface link between Kashmir and the rest of the country,
remained closed because of heavy snowfall at Jawahar tunnel,
the gateway to Kashmir.
About 500 vehicles were stranded at various places on the
highway and Border Roads Organisation personnel were clearing
the snow, landslides and stones falling from hill tops.
The ski resort of Gulmarg had five-ft deep snow, while
areas near Amarnath cave shrine were under three feet snow.
Though the snowfall snapped all links to the areas close
to the line of control in Baramulla and Kupwara districts, it
brought smiles on the faces of fruit growers and farmers as
the snow becomes the source of irrigation water in summer.
Night temperature in Srinagar rose to 1.0 degree Celsius
from 0.2 deg C yesterday, while Pahalgam recorded 0.5 deg C.
Leh and Kargil also recorded improved night temperature of
minus 3.4 deg C and minus 3.6 deg C.
In Rajasthan, intermittent rains accompanied by hailstorms
since early this morning revived cold conditions, pushing
mercury down by up to four degrees. Jaipur also received
intermittent drizzles.
Scanty rainfall in parts of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh
broke a long dry spell even as the minimum temperature rose by
up to nine degrees above normal in the region.
-PTI
First Published: Tuesday, February 09, 2010, 00:51