Heavy snowfall has stopped in Kashmir, but snow accumulation has broken the last 15-year record, leaving life disrupted in all rural villages and towns. Nearly 50% of Kashmir’s area, mostly rural towns and villages, remains affected.
The aftermath of heavy snowfall in Kashmir’s upper reaches has severely disrupted daily life, isolating many remote communities during the region’s harshest 40-day winter period, Chillai Kalan. High-altitude areas like Gurez, Tangdar, Kupwara, Peer ki Gali, and Zojila Pass still face roadblocks as remote villages are buried under 2-8 feet of snow.
Authorities have succeeded in opening NH44, but other highways connecting Kashmir to the rest of the country and several inter-district link roads remain blocked.
Fierce windstorms accompanying the snow collapsed the power grid at one point, plunging large parts of the Valley into darkness. Restoration is underway in remote pockets.
This huge snow accumulation, now facing the sun, has given birth to avalanche threats. Multiple avalanches have been reported, including a massive one in Sonamarg on January 27 and another in Kishtwar on January 29. Authorities have issued urgent warnings for residents to avoid high-risk hilly terrains.
This snowfall has also created a massive dip in temperatures—Sonamarg recorded a low of -10.6°C, and Gulmarg had -9.0°C—making life extremely difficult for people living there.
The Jammu & Kashmir government has suspended several employees from the Public Works (R&B) Department for delays in snow clearance that further compounded public misery.
While the weather is expected to remain dry through January 31, a fresh western disturbance is predicted to bring more rain and snow on February 1 and 2.
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