New Delhi, March 16 – Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh experienced fresh snowfall on Monday, disrupting traffic in both states, while rain lashed the plains.
Other northern states of Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana received light rain, leading to a drop in temperatures, while the national capital, Delhi, saw an improvement in air quality to the "satisfactory" category after Sunday's rain.
Most areas in Kashmir experienced moderate to heavy snowfall, while the plains experienced rain, disrupting traffic on some roads, officials said.
Several vehicles got stuck due to heavy snowfall on the Sinthan Top, prompting police and the army to launch a rescue operation on Sunday night to evacuate 214 stranded tourists and locals, officials said.
Tourist resorts in north Kashmir's Baramulla district (Gulmarg), central Kashmir's Budgam district (Doodhpathri), and central Kashmir's Ganderbal district (Sonamarg) experienced moderate snowfall.
Higher reaches, including Pir Ki Gali along the Mughal Road in Shopian district of south Kashmir, Zojilla, Gurez in north Kashmir's Bandipora, Sadhna Top in north Kashmir's Kupwara, and Sinthan Top connecting Anantnag in south Kashmir to Kishtwar in the Jammu region, experienced heavy snowfall.
Sadhna Top recorded over 12 inches of fresh snowfall, while Sinthan Top recorded approximately 6 inches of snow, officials said.
The snowfall led to the closure of vital road links in the Valley, including the Gurez-Bandipora road, the Sinthan-Kishtwar road, and the Mughal Road, which connects Kashmir Valley to the Jammu region.
Vehicular movement has also been suspended on the Srinagar-Leh highway due to the accumulation of snow at Zojilla Pass.
Rain lashed the plains of the Valley, including Srinagar, continuing intermittently until Monday morning.
Himachal Pradesh also experienced fresh snowfall on Monday, while a severe storm with lightning and hail lashed Shimla and surrounding areas.
As snowfall continued in the suburbs of Manali for the second consecutive day, police moved over 1,000 vehicles stranded near the Atal Tunnel in Rohtang since Sunday night to Manali.
Vehicles were stranded at several points due to ice formation on the roads, causing hardship for tourists.
Some started walking from the Atal Tunnel towards Solang Nallah. Many others said they narrowly avoided accidents as their vehicles skidded on the snow.
The Dhauladhar range in Kangra district was covered with a thin layer of snow on Monday morning, while snow was also observed in Dalhousie in Chamba district.
A severe storm with lightning and hail lashed Shimla and surrounding areas on Monday, disrupting normal life. Dark, convective clouds overcast the sky, creating a night-like appearance during the day, with lights glittering from buildings against a hazy landscape.
Visibility was reduced to zero, and vehicles were forced to move slowly with headlights on during midday.
According to Shobit Katariya, an official at the Shimla Met office, the higher reaches of Shimla district received 10.2 cm of snow in the 24 hours until Monday evening, followed by Kalpa (6.4 cm) and Lahaul-Spiti (2 cm).
Traces of snow were also observed in Shillaro and Bharnaur, while light to moderate snowfall was reported in isolated high-altitude areas of Shimla, Kullu, Mandi, Kangra, Kinnaur, and Lahaul and Spiti districts.
Some areas in Rajasthan experienced light rain and thunder until Monday morning, leading to a 2-4 degree Celsius drop in temperatures.
The highest maximum temperature recorded was 38.6 degrees Celsius in Chittorgarh, while the lowest minimum temperature was registered at 11.7 degrees Celsius in Fatehpur.
The India Meteorological Department's meteorological center in Jaipur has predicted that a fresh western disturbance will bring thunderstorms and rain at isolated places in the state this week.
Weather conditions are likely to remain mainly dry on March 16 and 17, while another strong western disturbance is likely to become active between March 18 and 21. Under its influence, gusty winds with speeds of 40-50 kilometres per hour and rainfall are likely at isolated places in the state.
On March 18, some areas in Jodhpur and Bikaner divisions may experience thunderstorms accompanied by light rain, while the remaining parts of the state are likely to experience mainly dry weather, it said.
On March 19 and 20, parts of Ajmer, Jaipur, Bharatpur, Kota, Jodhpur, and Bikaner divisions are likely to experience strong winds with speeds of 40-50 kilometres per hour and rain, the weather office said.
Light rains also lashed some places in Punjab, causing a drop in temperatures.
Pathankot and Rupnagar in Punjab received 14 mm and 9.5 mm of rain, respectively. Hoshiarpur and Amritsar also experienced rainfall activity.
Meanwhile, the national capital, Delhi, saw an improvement in air quality after Sunday's rain, with the air quality index settling in the 'satisfactory' category.
Many areas of Delhi experienced rain on Sunday. The 24-hour cumulative rainfall till 8.30 am showed that Safdarjung received 0.4 mm, Lodhi Road 0.5 mm, and Ayanagar 0.8 mm of rainfall, while Palam and Ridge recorded trace rainfall, according to weather observations.
Following the rainfall, Delhi's air quality also improved to 97.