Srinagar-Jammu highway shut due to snowfall

Srinagar  : Fresh snowfall Saturday forced the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu highway Saturday.

Around two feet of fresh snow fell in the Jawahar Tunnel area in the Bannihal sector of the highway at night, a traffic officer said.

Snowfall also occurred at night in the higher reaches of the Kashmir Valley while rain lashed the plains.

The Gulmarg ski resort recorded 18 inches of snow while Sonamarg received 20 inches and Shopian town 12 inches.

An official of the provincial administration told IANS that snowfall was continuing in the border towns of Gurez, Machil, Tangdhar and Keran.

The Met Office has forecast improved weather.

“The weather will start improving from (Saturday) afternoon”, Sonam Lotus, director of the Met Office here, told IANS.

Western disturbances are extra-tropical storms in the Mediterranean Sea causing sudden rain and snow in Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh.