Kashmir Weather Update: Valley Sees 2nd Spell Of Snowfall; All Flights Cancelled, Highway Shut
Kashmir witnessed a fresh spell of snowfall on Tuesday, prompting the cancellation of flights and the closure of the Srinagar-Jammu highway.
Published : January 27, 2026 at 10:05 AM IST
Srinagar: Kashmir woke up to a fresh spell of snowfall on Tuesday, bringing joy to tourists but also disrupting the Valley's aerial and surface connectivity with the rest of the country.
According to the J&K Traffic Police spokesperson, Jammu-Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) was closed due to fresh snowfall in and around the NAVYUG tunnel in Qazigund in south Kashmir's Kulgam district. The spokesman said that no vehicular movement shall be allowed from Jammu towards Srinagar and vice versa.
The Mughal Road that links Kashmir with the Pir Panjal districts of Poonch and Rajouri, the Srinagar-Ladakh Road and the Sinthan Road, which connects Kashmir with the Kishtwar district, are already closed, he said.
"People are advised not to travel on these roads until they are completely restored and declared safe for traffic," he said.
Flights Cancelled
All flights operating from Srinagar International Airport on Tuesday were cancelled in view of the inclement weather. On Tuesday morning, Srinagar Airport, on its official X handle, first shared a list of eight cancelled flights, and then, in a separate post, shared an updated list of 25 cancelled flights, including 16 from IndiGo.
Later, the airport authorities said that in the interest of passenger safety, all flight operations to and from Srinagar had been cancelled for the day. Director Srinagar Airport Javaid Anjum said the flights were cancelled due to adverse weather conditions and continuing snowfall at Srinagar Airport.
In Srinagar, where snowfall began at dawn, tourists were seen out on roads, clicking pictures to preserve memories from the Valley. This is the second spell of snowfall in the Kashmir valley after the heavy spell last Friday that veiled most districts in white.
“It is the first time we are standing in the snow. We planned this trip to see snowfall,” said a pair of tourists from Kerala in Srinagar’s Regal Chowk.
Tourism in Kashmir has seen a boost with the fresh snowfall drawing thousands of tourists to Gulmarg, a key destination for skiers.
For locals, the snow brought joy and relief as Srinagar saw the first snow of the season after a prolonged dry spell since November 1, which triggered 85 percent rainfall deficit.
Ajaz Ahmad, a vegetable grower in the Noor Bagh area, said he had been praying for snow as their land had turned parched.
"Snow is good for vegetable growers,” said the 57-year-old who inherited agricultural land from his forefathers. "Lack of rain and snow forces us to quit, as I have to look for a livelihood somewhere else. But today, God has blessed us with snow and this can replenish our mountains," Ahmad said.
Kashmir Weather Forecast
The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a 'yellow warning' in the western Himalayan region, including Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, for January 26-27.
An IMD official said the intense western disturbances are bringing snow and rain over the western Himalayan region.
According to Kashmir Weather, an independent weather forecaster, light to moderate intensity snowfall is expected to continue across the Kashmir region on Tuesday with improvement expected from around evening.
"Temperatures in the Kashmir plains during the day are expected to rise by a few degrees. As such, dry snow will turn wet, and may even rain in some areas. Moderate to heavy intensity rain/snow showers are expected over Chenab Valley region today with improvement from late evening/night. Light to moderate rain/snow showers are expected over Poonch - Rajouri belt with improvement from late afternoon hours. Light to moderate rain/snow showers are expected over Jammu plains today. Continuous rainfall in all areas may not be observed," it said.
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