As winter tightens its hold, Jammu and Kashmir stares down a week of wild weather. Gulmarg, the premier ski haven, shivered at -5.5°C minimum on Tuesday, while the India Meteorological Department sounds the alarm for light-to-heavy rain and snow starting January 22 evening through 28.
Temperature scans reveal the bite: Srinagar -3.4°C, Pahalgam -4.4°C, Gulmarg -5.5°C in the valley. Jammu side: 7.4°C in Jammu and Katra, 2.5°C Batote, -1.6°C Banihal, -1.2°C Bhadarwah.
Two Western Disturbances—those game-changing weather makers from the Mediterranean—will stir the pot, dumping snow on heights and rain below. Impacts loom large: crippled highways including Jammu-Srinagar NH, airport snarls, plus threats of landslides, mud slips, and winds howling at 40-60 km/h.
The advisory is blunt—plan trips wisely, tourists and drivers. Avoid slanted snowfields where avalanches lurk. Farmers, skip irrigation or spraying amid the downpours.
These storms are more than rainmakers; they’re the backbone of winter agriculture from Punjab to Bangladesh, quenching rabi crops’ thirst. For J&K, it’s a double-edged sword: vital moisture meets mounting risks. Heed the warnings, prioritize safety.