Srinagar, Jan 23 — A howling western disturbance brought light snowfall to Srinagar city while heavy snow lashed rural parts of the Kashmir Valley on Friday, with flight operations suspended at Srinagar International Airport and key highways closed due to fresh accumulation.
Flight services at Srinagar International Airport were completely suspended as snowfall and poor visibility disrupted air traffic across the Valley.
“As of now, all arriving and departing scheduled flights for the day stand cancelled due to poor visibility and passenger safety,” a senior airport official said. The suspension covers services operated by Air India, IndiGo, Air India Express, SpiceJet and Akasa Air.
Officials said that earlier in the day, at least 26 arrivals and departures were cancelled, affecting major connections between Srinagar and cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Jammu. Intermittent delays and cancellations were reported before operations were fully halted.
Surface transport also took a hit as traffic on the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway (NH-44) was suspended in both directions following fresh snowfall in and around the Navyug Tunnel.
“In addition to NH-44, the Mughal Road, Srinagar–Sonamarg–Gumri Road and Sinthan Road have been closed due to fresh snowfall,” an official said.
Heavy snowfall was reported from south Kashmir, with officials saying nearly 30 inches of snow was recorded in the plains of Shopian, where snowfall was continuing.
In north Kashmir, 12 to 14 inches of snow accumulated in Sopore town by Friday morning.
Moreover, power services remain suspended in several areas, causing inconvenience to residents and disrupting daily life. Officials said restoration work is underway, though no definite timeline has been provided for the resumption of electricity.