Snow brings flakes of joy to J&K — top 4 places to visit to enjoy picturesque winter ambience | In pics

Several locations across Jammu and Kashmir marked the beginning of Chillai Kalan — the 40-day period of severe winter cold — with the first snowfall of the season on Sunday. This downpour in Kashmir ended the prolonged dry spell and opened doors for a lucrative winter season for an economy primarily driven by tourism sector.

Let's learn about the top 4 places to visit in Jammu and Kashmir that received fresh snowfall. Tourists in Gulmarg, Anantnag, Kishtwar and Sonamarg celebrated the wet spell while the capital city Srinagar recorded its warmest night this winter on 21 December.

The Chillai Kalan period will end on January 31 and will be followed by 'Chillai-Khurd' (small cold) and 'Chillai-Bacha' (baby cold). Landscapes covered in frost and snow and frozen water bodies are typical of this period is a marked by sub-zero temperatures.

After fresh snowfall, Gulmarg, Anantnag, Kishtwar and Sonamarg were glistening in shades of white. A picturesque winter ambience can be seen in the images given below:

In the Srinagar, the minimum temperature on Sunday stood at 4 degrees Celsius, six notches above normal, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). While heavy fog enveloped Dal Lake, boat rides and sightseeing services continue to operate.

IMD issued yellow alert for both Kashmir and Jammu division, predicting light to moderate snowfall in higher reaches. The minimum and maximum temperatures in Srinagar are expected to settle around 3 and 9 degrees Celsius on 23 December.

The weather agency in its latest press release stated, “Heavy rainfall/snowfall accompanied with snowstorm with wind speed reaching 50-60 kmph gusting to 70 kmph along with reduced visibility (<400m) due to falling snow likely at isolated places over higher reaches of Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh, northeast Himachal Pradesh during next 24 hours.”

Snowfall disrupts travel

Traffic on Kashmir's three key routes —Sonamarg, Mughal and Sinthan Top roads — was suspended on Sunday following snow accumulation. IndiGo and SpiceJet airlines had to cancel two flights from Srinagar airport due to low visibility on Monday. In a post on X, the airport said, “Passengers are advised to check their flight status with the respective airline for the latest updates and alternate arrangements.”

A total of 14 flights were cancelled at Srinagar airport on Sunday. On Sunday, IndiGo and SpiceJet issued a passenger advisory informing about disruptions of flight operations to and from Srinagar due to dense fog.

"As conditions evolve, some services may experience delays, and a few may need to be cancelled depending on clearance and operational feasibility," IndiGo's advisory stated.

Even the Airports Authority of India (AAI) issued a travel advisory on Sunday in the wake of fog conditions in parts of northern India.