Fresh snowfall in Valley; rain lashes plains

The famous tourist resort of Gulmarg experienced fresh snowfall while Srinagar and other plains were lashed by rains under the impact of western disturbance - the main system affecting weather in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Western Disturbance hit the region in the wee hours today and will remain active during the next three days, prompting the weather department to warn inhabitants of heavy rain or snow at isolated places during the next 24 hours.
As a precautionary measure, the state administration has issued a medium danger avalanche warning and advised people living in the high altitude areas to exercise retrain and avoid avalanche prone areas.

"Western Disturbance has become active as wide spread rain or snow is expected on March 2. Heavy rain or snow may occur at isolated places over the state during the next 24 hours," an official at the local MeT department told PTI here.
The schools in the valley and winter zone of Jammu are scheduled to reopen on March 2 after the authorities extended the winter vacation by a week.
The schools were closed for winter vacation since November last year.
He said Gulmarg, Pahalgam and other high altitude areas of the valley experienced fresh snowfall, ranging between five cms to over two inches since the wee hours today.

Gulmarg, the star attraction for tourists especially skiers from the country and abroad, recorded a fresh 1.5 inches of snowfall till this morning, the spokesman said, adding Pahalgam and Kokernag in south Kashmir experienced around five cms of snowfall during the night.