Kashmir sees first major snowfall as Chillai Kalan begins; key roads shut, flights cancelled

Kashmir snowfall

The mountains of Kashmir witnessed widespread light snowfall on Sunday, while the plains were lashed by rain, marking the onset of Chillai Kalan, valley’s harshest 40-day winter period.

Officials from the Meteorological Centre in Srinagar said the fresh spell of precipitation brought much-needed relief after weeks of unusually dry weather.

This was the first major snowfall of the season and it disrupted both road and air connectivity across the region. Several key highways were shut due to snow accumulation, while flight operations at Srinagar International Airport were hit by bad weather.

Snowfall and rain after weeks of dryness

Rain and snowfall began across Jammu and Kashmir late Saturday night, mainly affecting the Kashmir Valley. Higher reaches received snowfall, while Srinagar and other plains saw steady rain. Weather officials said the precipitation came after a prolonged dry spell that had lasted since early November.

“This is a welcome relief after weeks of dry conditions. There has been snowfall in the higher reaches and light rain in many areas. The current weather activity is likely to continue till Sunday night, with another brief spell expected on Monday,” Hindustan Times quoted Mukhtar Ahmad, Director of the Meteorological Centre in Srinagar, as saying.

Snowfall was witnessed in Gulmarg and the Tulail Valley in north Kashmir, Sonamarg in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, and Pahalgam in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Other hilly areas across the Valley also saw fresh snow.

Ahmad said that while rain was mainly confined to Srinagar and the plains, some lower reaches of north and central Kashmir could receive light snowfall.

Roads shut, travel restrictions imposed

The fresh snowfall made road conditions slippery in mountainous areas, forcing authorities to close several major routes. Traffic officials announced the closure of the Mughal Road, which connects south Kashmir with the Pir Panjal region of Jammu.

The Srinagar–Sonamarg–Gumri (SSG) road, which links the Valley to Ladakh, was also shut for vehicular movement due to heavy snow accumulation.

“Traffic is plying on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway from both sides, but motorists are advised to be cautious due to snowfall in some stretches,” a traffic official said.

As a safety measure, authorities also restricted movement on the road leading to Gulmarg, a popular tourist and ski destination. Tempo travellers, passenger service vehicles, and vehicles carrying more than 10 passengers were barred from travelling between Tangmarg and Gulmarg.

“Only light motor vehicles fitted with anti-skid chains will be allowed towards Gulmarg. Vehicles without proper anti-skid chains will not be permitted,” said SSP Traffic (Rural) Ravinder Pal Singh.

Several flights cancelled

Bad weather conditions also affected air travel. Flight operations at Srinagar International Airport were disrupted from early Sunday morning.

“At least 14 flights were cancelled due to poor weather, including seven operated by IndiGo,” an airport official was quoted by HT as saying.

However, the rainfall and snowfall had a positive impact on air quality across the Valley. The Meteorological Department said the Air Quality Index (AQI) showed significant improvement following the rain.

“There has been a clear improvement in air quality due to the rainfall. After this spell, the weather is expected to remain dry and cold from December 23 to December 30,” Ahmad said.

An advisory issued by the department warned that higher reaches of Kupwara, Bandipora and Ganderbal districts could receive moderate to heavy snowfall, especially during the night. Travellers and transporters were advised to plan their journeys carefully and follow official advisories.

Temperatures fall as Chillai Kalan sets in

Day temperatures dropped below normal across most parts of Kashmir due to the snowfall and cloud cover. Srinagar recorded a maximum temperature of 6 degrees Celsius, while the minimum settled at 4 degrees Celsius.

Gulmarg, the coldest station in the Valley, recorded a maximum temperature of 3.4 degrees Celsius and a minimum of minus 1.5 degrees Celsius. Pahalgam saw a maximum of 5.6 degrees Celsius and a minimum of 2.8 degrees Celsius.

Chillai Kalan, the Valley’s harshest 40-day winter period, began on December 21. This phase is known for extreme cold and heavy snowfall. It is followed by a milder 20-day period called Chillai Khurd and a 10-day phase of relatively moderate cold known as Chille Bache.

Despite the recent snowfall, Jammu and Kashmir has recorded an 85% deficit in rainfall and snowfall this season. Officials said the region received just 6 mm of precipitation against a normal average of 43 mm between November 1 and December 9.