SRINAGAR: Higher reaches of the Kashmir valley received snowfall on Saturday morning as rain lashed the rest of the region after an extended spell of dry weather and extreme cold.
Reports reaching here from the hill stations of Sonamarg and Gulmarg in the north and Pahalgam in the south indicated moderate snowfall at all these tourist resorts.
Because of heavy snowfall in the Jawahar Tunnel area of the Srinagar-Jammu national highway, authorities closed the highway for vehicular traffic Saturday morning.
The minimum temperature, which hovered around minus seven degrees Celsius for the last fortnight, rose to minus 0.2 degrees Saturday bringing relief to the residents across the valley.
Alarmed by the severe cold and dryness, people had held special prayers Friday.
"Our prayers have been answered," said a jubilant Habibullah, 59, who lives in a north Kashmir village.
The weather office here said more rain and snowfall was expected across the valley during the next 48 hours.
