First snow turns Valley into 'winter wonderland'

AFTER enduring intense cold wave conditions, with night temperatures plunging several degrees below freezing point, Srinagar and other plains of the Valley experienced their first snowfall of the season on Friday.

- FAYAZ WANI @Srinagar

AFTER enduring intense cold wave conditions, with night temperatures plunging several degrees below freezing point, Srinagar and other plains of the Valley experienced their first snowfall of the season on Friday. This welcomed change ended the prolonged dry spell, bringing much-needed winter charm to the plains and transforming it into "winter wonderland".

Srinagar, where the night temperature dropped to 7.3 degrees Celsius, received snowfall from the afternoon. It was this winter's first snowfall in Srinagar. Other parts of the Valley also experienced light to moderate snowfall. The upper reaches, including the ski resort of Gulmarg, the tourist destination of Sonamarg and Pahalgam and areas close to the Line of Control received moderate to heavy snowfall.