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A study of heavy snowfall in Kashmir, India in January 2017
Author(s) -
Rafiq Mohammd,
Mishra Anoop Kumar
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
weather
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.467
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1477-8696
pISSN - 0043-1656
DOI - 10.1002/wea.3065
Subject(s) - snow , anomaly (physics) , environmental science , climatology , geography , physical geography , meteorology , geology , physics , condensed matter physics
Kashmir valley witnessed multiple heavy snowfall spells in January 2017 that triggered an avalanche, killing 24 people, including 20 Indian Army Personnel, whose camp was struck by the avalanche. This study aims to present an analysis of the heavy snowfall events that occurred the majority of districts in Kashmir during January 2017 using station data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Results show that there were three episodes of intense snowfall over different parts of Kashmir. Maximum daily accumulated snowfall measurements of about 11.5 and 9.2cm were recorded at Pahalgam and Banihall stations, respectively, on 26 January 2017. Gulmarg also recorded a maximum daily accumulated snowfall of 8.8cm on 25 January 2017. The snowfall anomaly data show that Gulmarg, Srinagar, Kupwara, Banihall, Quazigund and Pahalgam witnessed the highest snowfall of recent decades. Gulmarg and Pahalgam recorded cumulative snowfall measurements of about 38.4 and 30cm, respectively, during January. Data from the region reveal that the accumulated snow from three episodes of intense snowfall during 6–8, 15–17 and 25–27 January 2017 resulted in an avalanche over Kashmir.