Leh freezes, Gulmarg coldest in Kashmir Valley

Night temperatures in Ladakh dropped to below freezing point at minus 7.9 degrees Celsius while Gulmarg was the coldest place in the Kashmir Valley with a minus 4.6 degrees Celsius, a Met department official said on Sunday.

"The minimum temperatures on Sunday in Kargil, Srinagar and Pahalgam were minus 5.8, 2.9 and minus 0.5 degrees Celsius, respectively," the official said.

"Jammu, Katra, Batote, Bannihal and Bhanderwah recorded 9.5, 10.8, 4.3, 4.0 and 3.0 degrees Celsius, respectively."

Fresh snowfall in the last 24 hours has closed the Mughal Road that serves as an alternate route between the Kashmir Valley and the Jammu region.

Road connectivity between the valley and the Ladakh region remained suspended for the third consecutive day on Sunday due to heavy snowfall on the Zojilla Pass.

Traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu Highway was, however, not interrupted.

The weather office has forecast partially cloudy sky in the state during the next 24 hours.

--IANS

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