Srinagar: The New Year arrived on a wintry note in Kashmir as fresh snowfall covered several popular tourist destinations and higher-altitude areas across the Valley. Officials said the snowfall, which began overnight, continued into Thursday morning, creating scenic conditions that attracted visitors to key hill resorts.
Well-known tourist spots such as Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg witnessed fresh snow, offering a picturesque start to the year for travellers and locals alike. Snow was also reported from elevated regions including the Tulail Valley in Gurez, Razdan Top in Bandipora, Macchil and Sadhna Top in Kupwara, as well as the Zojila Pass.
According to officials, the current spell of snowfall is linked to a western disturbance affecting the region. As the system moves away later in the day, weather conditions are expected to gradually improve. However, isolated areas may still experience brief spells of light rain or snow on Friday.
Despite the fresh snowfall, temperatures across much of the Valley remained higher than usual due to persistent cloud cover. Night-time temperatures stayed above the freezing mark in most areas, reflecting an ongoing trend of milder winter conditions this season.
Meteorological data shows that temperatures across Kashmir are currently ranging between 1.2 and 6.3 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average. Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of 2.2 degrees Celsius on Wednesday night, significantly warmer than normal for this time of year.
Gulmarg remained the coldest place in the region, with temperatures dipping to minus 5.5 degrees Celsius, while Pahalgam in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 0.4 degrees Celsius. Qazigund, considered the gateway to the Valley, saw minimum temperatures settle at 2 degrees Celsius, well above average.
Kashmir is presently observing ‘Chilla-e-Kalan’, the harshest 40-day phase of winter when freezing temperatures and snowfall are typically at their peak. However, officials noted that this season has deviated from usual patterns, with the Valley’s plains yet to receive snowfall so far, despite the increased activity in higher reaches.
