Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir finally witnessed a fresh spell of snowfall over the higher reaches and rains in plains after a 50-day dry spell. The snow and rain across the region brought cheer and relief among the people of the Valley. Due to the snowfall around Zojila area, the highway that connects Kashmir to Ladakh has been shut for traffic as well.

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Areas like Gulmarg, Pahalgam, and Sonamarg received a fresh spell of snow while Srinagar witnessed rains, bringing the much-needed respite as multiple water bodies and springs had dried up due to no precipitation in the area. As January and February so far saw negligible precipitation, it led to the drying of water bodies and caused rampant forest fires. So much so that the Government of Jammu and Kashmir had to postpone the Khelo India Winter Games due to insufficient snow in the Ski Resort Gulmarg.

Global warming is impacting the weather patterns of Jammu and Kashmir drastically. With January 2025 being one of the driest ‘Chillai Kalan’ periods in many decades, the water bodies across the Kashmir division are drying up, sounding an alarm for the summers. The MeT department has predicted a wet spell across the region in the next 24 hours. But it might not just be enough.

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The MeT department has said that there is going to be a wet spell starting February 25th till 28th. The valley also saw a sudden drop in the temperatures as it was recording temperatures 6 degrees above normal.

The change in weather across Jammu and Kashmir has impacted the weather across North India. National Capital New Delhi also witnessed rain in the morning and a dip in the temperatures.

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