Overview
- Higher reaches including Gulmarg, Sonamarg, and other resorts recorded the season’s first significant snow following a prolonged dry spell.
- The IMD reported 7.6 cm of snow at Gulmarg and 2.1 cm at Pahalgam, with plains receiving rainfall such as 8 mm in Srinagar, 12.2 mm in Qazigund, and 21.2 mm in Kokernag.
- Authorities suspended traffic on high-altitude routes, including the Srinagar–Leh highway at Zojila, the Mughal Road at Peer Ki Gali, and the Gurez–Bandipora road, and warned travelers to check advisories.
- Temperatures fell sharply, with Gulmarg’s daytime high down to 3.2°C versus a normal 11.8°C and minimums around -2°C at the ski resort.
- Early snow drew tourists back to Gulmarg, though recovery remains constrained by security-related restrictions that left over 48 sites closed initially, with about 28 reopened so far.