Kashmir Valley was on Friday cut off from rest of the country as incessant snowfall forced closure of Jammu-Srinagar National highway, where over 100 vehicles were stranded, and cancellation of all flights to and from the international airport in Srinagar.

The snowfall also prompted authorities to close schools, which were kept open to compensate for the loss of studies during the five-month-long summer unrest, in the Valley where normal life was paralysed with people preferring to stay indoors.

The 294-km highway, connecting the Valley to the rest of the country, was closed on Friday morning after moderate snowfall in Qazigund and Jawahar Tunnel area, officials said.

Nearly two feet of snow had accumulated in Qazigund as snowfall continued for the second day on Friday, they said.

Around 100 vehicles are stranded in the area around Jawahar Tunnel.

The officials said passengers have been shifted to safe locations in Anantnag and Ramban.

“50 vehicles are stranded outside Jawahar Tunnel, 20-25 vehicles are near lower Munda while 75 vehicles are stranded inside the tunnel,” Divisional Commissioner Kashmir Asgar Hussain Samoon said, adding the passengers were provided with biscuits and other eatables.

All flights to and from Srinagar International Airport were cancelled due to poor visibility, officials said.

“The road clearance work is in progress and a decision on allowing traffic (on the national highway) would depend on the weather conditions,” he said. The moderate snowfall blocked roads prompting authorities to close schools.

“All the schools, which were functional so far, will now remain closed for winter vacation,” an official of the Divisional Administration Kashmir told.

Schools close in Kashmir on 15th December every year and reopen on 1st March.

But the government had last month announced that students of classes IX, X, XI and XII will attend schools during the winter vacation.

Kashmir has been in the grip of intense cold wave with temperatures plunging to minus six degrees Celsius.

Kashmir University has also postponed the ongoing examinations till further notice.

The snowfall has ended a two-month dry spell in the Valley which experienced the first snowfall of the season much earlier than usual on 22nd October.

Officials said five houses were damaged in South Kashmir which experienced the maximum snowfall with Shopian district recording 15 inches of snow.

Some hilly areas of Kishtwar and Doda districts also experienced snowfall since Wednesday night while rains lashed Jammu region.

MeT office said here that Jammu city experienced nearly 41 mm of rainfall.