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The upper reaches of Doda district in Jammu and Kashmir witnessed the first snowfall of the season on Thursday, while fresh snowfall blanketed Gurez Valley in Bandipora district and Pir Ki Gali in the Pir Panjal Range, bringing down temperatures across the region.
In Doda, snowfall and cloudy conditions covered the mountainous landscape, marking the onset of winter-like conditions in the higher reaches. In north Kashmir's Gurez Valley, fresh snowfall blanketed the mountainous region in white, with around two inches of snow recorded in the plains and four to five inches in the higher reaches. Dawar, Tulail, Bagtore, Tragbal and Razdan Top also witnessed fresh snowfall, transforming the surrounding landscape. Following the snowfall at Razdan Top and other higher reaches, the 85-km-long Bandipora-Gurez road has been closed to vehicular traffic. The snowfall has raised concerns over road safety amid falling temperatures and slippery conditions. Travellers have been advised to follow official weather and traffic advisories and avoid using the route until authorities confirm the resumption of vehicular movement. Meanwhile, the Border Roads Organisation's 79 Road Construction Company (RCC) initiated snow-clearing operations at Pir Ki Gali after the season's first snowfall in the Pir Panjal Range, aiming to clear the route for traffic between Poonch and Kashmir. Elsewhere, fresh snowfall in the Dhauladhar mountain range and continuous rainfall in Dharamshala have brought a sharp drop in temperatures, leaving tourists and residents grappling with unusually cold weather. Dharamshala recorded a minimum temperature of 6 degrees Celsius, while the maximum remained around 11 degrees Celsius, prompting residents and visitors to seek warmer clothing. The sudden change in weather caught several tourists unprepared. Madhav and Vishvas, who travelled to Dharamshala from Ludhiana in Punjab, told ANI that they had not anticipated such cold conditions. We were not aware that the weather would be so cold here. We never expected such conditions. The shops are still closed, and we are shivering while waiting for them to open. We will have to buy some warm clothes, which will certainly disturb our budget, they said. (ANI)
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