Kashmir, Himachal receive season's first snowfall, flights cancelled at Srinagar airport

Air traffic to and from Kashmir was suspended on Friday, 23 January, after flight operations were cancelled at the Srinagar airport due to heavy snowfall in the valley, rendering the runway unsafe for aircraft operation, officials said.

"In view of continuous snowfall, accumulation of snow on operational areas, and the prevailing forecast of adverse weather en route, all flight operations at Srinagar airport stand cancelled for the day in the interest of passenger safety," officials at the airport said.

They said the passengers are advised to contact their respective airlines for updates and re-accommodation.

"Due to adverse weather conditions and snowfall in Srinagar, the runway is currently not available for safe aircraft operations. In the interest of passenger safety, all flight operations to and from Srinagar have been cancelled for the day," an official of Airport Authority of India (AAI) said here.

He said the airlines and airport authorities are closely monitoring the weather situation and will resume operations as soon as conditions improve and the runway is declared operational.

"We regret the inconvenience caused and appreciate passengers' understanding and cooperation," he added.

Most parts of Kashmir received fresh snowfall overnight, including the season's first snowfall in Srinagar, many parts of which was also lashed by rains. Budgam district and south Kashmir's Pulwama and Shopian districts are receiving abundant snow.

High-speed winds swept many places uprooting trees, electricity poles and rooftops in a few areas, while also snapping power lines in several areas including Srinagar.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said efforts were on to restore the power supply. He said on X, "As per KPDCL, the active power load in the valley is less than 100 MW as against the usual 1700 MW, essentially due to the outage of almost all 33KV feeders, including those feeding emergency services."

Gulmarg, Shopian and other higher areas in Kashmir also received heavy snowfall. While a couple of inches of fresh snow has accumulated in Gulmarg's ski resort, moderate snowfall was reported from other areas.

After a three-month dry spell, Shimla received the first snowfall of the season on Friday.

Snowfall was also reported from the higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh, including Manali, another popular tourist destination of the state.

The local met office has forecast heavy snow and rain. The Shimla administration has issues an advisory, asking people to not drive till the weather clears.

The administration said higher reaches of the district, including Chopal, are also experiencing snowfall due to which Chopal-Deha road has been blocked.

(With agency inputs)