Snowfall and inclement weather conditions across the Union Territory led to the closure of major roads connecting the Kashmir Valley and caused multiple flight cancellations due to low visibility on Sunday.

Mughal Road, Sinthan Pass, and the Srinagar-Leh National Highway were shut due to heavy snow accumulation, as these roads traverse high mountain passes. In addition to J&K, parts of Ladakh also received snowfall, causing significant inconvenience to locals.

The snowfall in Kashmir marked the beginning of Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day harshest winter period, starting on Sunday. This brought much-needed respite to the people of the Valley after a prolonged dry spell. Snowfall was reported at the Gulmarg tourist resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, where nearly two inches of snow accumulated.

In Sonamarg, snowfall began early Sunday morning and continued until the afternoon. Sadhna Top, the pass connecting the Tangdhar sector along the Line of Control (LoC) to the main Kashmir Valley, received moderate snowfall, with six inches accumulating since Saturday night.

Flight operations at Srinagar Airport were disrupted due to the weather, leading to the cancellation of 15 inward and outbound flights. In a statement, the airport authorities said, “Due to prevailing adverse weather conditions across various parts of North India, delays, rescheduling, and cancellations of flights are likely. Passengers are advised to check the latest flight status with their respective airlines before commencing their journey.”

Issuing an advisory for commuters, J&K Traffic Police stated that movement along hilly roads will only be allowed in accordance with prescribed cut-off timings. “Before starting their journey, motorists should ensure that anti-skid equipment is fitted to their vehicles, as vehicles without proper anti-skid mechanisms will not be allowed on hilly roads like Tangmarg-Gulmarg, Kangan-Sonamarg, Sinthan-Kishtwar, Mughal Road, Kupwara border roads, and Gurez-Bandipora, in case these roads remain open for traffic. To avoid traffic jams at roadside holding areas, only registered anti-skid chain vendors will be allowed to fix chains at designated locations,” the advisory read.

The Meteorological Centre in Srinagar issued a warning stating that the higher reaches of Kupwara, Bandipora, and Ganderbal are likely to receive heavy snowfall. “Travellers are advised to plan accordingly and follow traffic advisories,” it said.

The MeT Centre further stated that Monday would remain generally cloudy with light rain/snow in scattered to fairly widespread areas.

Meanwhile, the MeT Centre at Leh reported that light to moderate snowfall is expected at many places in Kargil, Zanskar, and over the higher reaches of Leh district. The centre also forecasted disruptions in traffic over major passes, particularly Zojila.