Jammu & Kashmir Weather Update Today, May 26, 2026: Fresh Snowfall Blankets Minamarg & Zojila As Temperatures Dip Across Kashmir Valley

So, during the peak summer stretch, there’s been this pretty surprising weather twist, where fresh snowfall has once again covered the upper parts of Jammu and Kashmir. It’s mostly being seen around Minamarg and the strategic Zojila Pass, like completely. The sudden snowfall has made the whole region look like a blank sheet, and meanwhile, many regions of north India are still dealing with harsh heatwave conditions. Officials said that snow and cold winds were reported in Minamarg, Drass, and also the areas close to Zojila, and that’s why temperatures in the Kashmir Valley took a sharp dip, pretty fast.

Snowfall Turns Zojila Into a Winter Wonderland

The fresh hush of snow covered the mountain roads, the hills, and those open stretches near Minamarg and Zoji La, and somehow made the scenery look unreal, like really stunning visuals, fast, they went viral on social media. Travellers and locals were out and about, they saw icy lanes, reduced visibility, and snow-clad peaks even though it was already the end of May. Reports indicate that the snowfall started in the early morning hours and then kept coming in a stop-start way over the higher reaches.

Why Is It Snowing In May?

Impact On Srinagar-Leh Highway

The sudden weather shift kind of messed with traffic flow near the Srinagar-Leh highway, too. Officials briefly kept an eye on movement around Zojila, because the road got slippery and there was fresh snow buildup again. That pass is, really, one of the most essential mountain corridors linking the Kashmir Valley with Ladakh, and it tends to stay exposed to severe weather effects, even when everything seems normal.

Relief From Heatwave In Kashmir

While the plains across India are seeing temperatures around 42°C to 47°C, the snowfall somehow managed to give a bit of a temporary breather to Kashmir and a few nearby hilly regions. A cool breeze, along with intermittent rainfall, brought the mercury down quite a lot in Sonamarg, Drass, and nearby places. The India Meteorological Department also said that in the coming days, there could be more cloudy conditions and rain that comes and goes.

Tourists Rush To Witness Rare Summer Snow

Tourists stopping in Sonamarg and the nearby zones were kinda left astonished after seeing a snowfall in the middle of the summer season. A lot of travellers actually pulled over around Mina Marg and Zojila, just to record photos and videos of that strange, unexpected weather. The tourism operators are saying that these rare snow showers have brought extra thrill for people planning their trip towards the Ladakh and Kashmir valleys, you know, like it’s an extra surprise along the way.