Heavy overnight snowfall blanketed Kashmir in white on Friday, severely impacting rail, air, and road connectivity throughout the valley, officials reported.
The snowfall triggered landslides, mudslides, and shooting stones along the crucial Srinagar-Jammu National Highway, causing severe disruption to vehicular traffic. The highway, Kashmir's primary link to the rest of the country, was closed between Ramsoo and Qazigund due to significant snow accumulation and multiple incidents of landslides.
In Srinagar, the valley's capital city, residents woke up to light snowfall. However, popular tourist destinations in higher elevations such as Gulmarg, Sonamarg, and Pahalgam witnessed moderate to heavy snowfall, attracting both concern and excitement from locals and visitors alike.
The adverse weather conditions also resulted in the closure of other vital routes, including the Srinagar-Leh Highway, Mughal Road—the alternate road link connecting Jammu and Kashmir—and the Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumri (SSG) Road.
Additionally, morning flights operating from Srinagar Airport faced delays, with operations resuming only after 11 am following improvements in weather conditions.
Train services were similarly disrupted. Officials cited heavy snow accumulation on railway tracks as the primary reason behind the suspension of services along the critical Budgam-Baramulla rail route.
The regional weather department forecasts improved conditions from Friday afternoon, offering a respite for transportation services and commuters impacted by this unexpected snowfall.
