Snow struck: Heavy snowfall in Kashmir leaves thousands of tourists stranded

As intense cold wave-like conditions prevail across Kashmir, Srinagar received season’s first snowfall on Friday. It recorded -7.3°C on Thursday night, the MeT department said.

J&K chief minister Omar Abdullah on Friday said that around 2,000 vehicles were stuck at Qazigund town in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag.

The intense cold conditions resulted in both the minimum as well as maximum temperatures staying below the normal for this time of the season. The low temperature has led to the freezing of water supply lines and a thin layer of ice has covered the surface of several water bodies, including the Dal Lake.

Tourists were thrilled to witness snow and many of them were seen playing and clicking photographs. "This is a sight to behold. We are lucky to have witnessed snowfall in Srinagar. It feels surreal. It is a dream come true," said Priya, a tourist in Lal Chowk.

"We had been waiting for snow for a long time. The prolonged dry season had led to several difficulties for locals. It led to an increase in common ailments like cough and cold. Now, it will bring relief," Yawar Hussain, a local, said. He said the snowfall would augur well for tourism as well as agriculture and horticulture sectors.

Kashmir is currently experiencing 'Chillai-Kalan' which is considered the harshest period of winter, that began on December 21 and will end on January 30.
The chances of snowfall are the highest and the temperature drops considerably during the 40 days of Chillai-Kalan.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast isolated light rain and snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir until December 30.