*Rain, snowfall mark beginning of Chillai-I-Kalan in Kashmir, prolonged dry spell ends*
*Mughal, Gurez, Srinagar-Sonamarg roads closed; Vehicles plying on Tangmarg-Gulmarg road asked to use anti-skid chains*
Gulmarg, Dec 21 The rain and snowfall on Sunday marked the begging of the 40-day harshest winter period – Chillai-I-Kalan – and ending the prolonged dry spell in the Kashmir Valley. The higher reaches in the Valley received moderate to heavy snowfall, while plains witnessed moderate rainfall, with night temperature showing a slight improvement, officials said.
An official told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that the snowfall brought cheer to locals and tourists as it ended months long dry spell in the Kashmir Valley.
He said that following the snowfall in the higher reached, the Mughal Road, connecting Shopian in Kashmir with Rajouri and Poonch in Jammu, was temporarily closed as a precautionary measure. “Several other key routes, including the Srinagar–Sonamarg–Gumri (SSG) Road, Sinthan Road and the Bandipora–Gurez road were also shut”.
He said that famous tourist ski-resort Gulmarg recorded over three inches of snowfall overnight, bringing cheers to locals and tourists who have been awaiting snowfall since long.
Meanwhile, authorities enforced traffic restrictions on the Tangmarg–Gulmarg road to ensure public safety with drivers and vehicle owners asked to use anti-skid chains in view of the slippery road condition.
The weather office has predicted generally cloudy conditions across J&K, with light rain in the plains and snowfall over higher reaches during the next 48 hours, followed by partly to generally cloudy weather for the rest of the week—(KNO)
