By IANS,
Srinagar : The summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir received its first snowfall of this winter season Friday, while the higher reaches of the valley continued to be lashed by snow for the second day.
Residents of Srinagar woke up to find a blanket of snow covering the city as curling flakes continued to fall.
Authorities here announced cancellation of all school and university examinations scheduled for the day as traffic remained off the roads because of inclement weather.
Reports from the ski resort of Gulmarg, which had received snowfall a day earlier, said more than two feet of snow had gathered there.
Moderate snowfall was also reported from Sonamarg and Pahalgam tourist resorts.
“The minimum temperature today fell to minus 0.2 degrees Celsius, adding to the chill factor experienced across the valley. The same weather conditions are likely to continue for another day because of the western disturbances that have hit the valley this time,” said T.K. Jotshi, assistant director of the weather office here.
The snowfall has broken the dry spell the valley had been reeling under for the last one month.
“Early snowfall is a good omen for agriculture and horticulture in the valley. It will also increase the discharge in the local rivers that could improve the extremely poor electricity generation in the various hydel power projects here,” an official said.