After experiencing an unusually dry February, several parts of Kashmir witnessed fresh snowfall on Sunday, bringing much-needed relief and excitement across the region. Higher-altitude areas, including the popular tourist destination of Gulmarg, received significant snowfall, drawing enthusiastic reactions from visitors and locals alike.
Snowfall was reported from multiple districts across the valley, including Gulmarg, Ganderbal, Kupwara, Shopian, and Bandipora. Some of the most prominent locations to receive fresh snow included Pir Ki Gali along the Mughal Road in Shopian and the Sonamarg–Zojilla axis, both of which experienced noticeable accumulation.
Scenes from Gulmarg showed tourists enjoying the snowy weather as they gathered on the slopes. Many visitors were seen posing for photographs against the white landscape, while others appeared mesmerised by the sudden transformation of the surroundings as snow covered the hills and valleys.
Ground-level videos from Shopian captured picturesque views of pine trees draped in fresh snow, creating a scenic winter landscape that delighted tourists visiting the area. Speaking to reporters, a tourist from Bihar expressed her excitement and said she was extremely happy to witness the unexpected snowfall during her visit. She said she could barely contain her joy at seeing the region blanketed in snow.
Fresh snowfall was also reported from the remote Gurez Valley, where a thick layer of snow covered the mountains and surrounding terrain. The snowfall added to the beauty of the region but also created certain logistical challenges in some places.
At the Sinthan Top mountain pass, snowfall led to significant traffic disruption as vehicles struggled to move through the slippery and snow-covered roads. Authorities monitored the situation as travellers faced delays due to the weather conditions.
Meanwhile, the plains of the Kashmir Valley, including the summer capital Srinagar, experienced rainfall instead of snow. The wet weather resulted in a noticeable drop in daytime temperatures across the region, making the weather considerably colder.
According to the meteorological department, the unsettled weather conditions are expected to continue for several days. Weather officials predicted intermittent spells of light to moderate rain across the valley and snowfall in the higher-altitude areas until Monday morning.
The department also indicated that isolated areas in the higher reaches could experience brief spells of light rain or snowfall on Tuesday as well. The news agency PTI reported that such scattered weather activity may continue in some parts of the region.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) attributed the fresh snowfall in Kashmir and other areas of the western Himalayan region to the influence of a new western disturbance. According to the IMD’s weather bulletin issued on March 15, scattered to fairly widespread light rainfall and snowfall is expected to occur across the western Himalayan region between March 15 and March 21.
Meteorologists note that snowfall during March is generally considered off-season for the western Himalayas. Typically, the region receives the majority of its snowfall during the winter months between December and February. Therefore, the fresh snowfall observed this month has been viewed as unusual but welcome, especially after the prolonged dry spell that the region experienced earlier in the year.
