Minimum temperatures are likely to fall by 3 degrees to 5 degrees Celsius in northwestern India, including Delhi, over the next 24 hours, the India Meteorological Department said on Friday.

The drop in temperatures came after rainfall and snowfall in the northern parts of the country.

The weather department said that light to moderate rainfall and heavy snowfall were recorded at most places in Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh, and at isolated locations in Uttarakhand on Friday.

Between Thursday night and Friday morning, snowfall was recorded in Shimla, Manali, Keylong, Kufri, Bharmaur, Gulmarg, Kupwara, Pahalgam, Kukernag, Qazigund and Banihal, among other places. Snowfall was also reported for the first time this season in parts of Uttarakhand.

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Heavy snowfall across the Kashmir Valley on Friday led to the cancellation of all flights at Srinagar airport, India Today reported. Icy conditions, particularly in the higher reaches, also forced the closure of several key highways and roads.

The India Meteorological Department has also forecast dense to very dense fog during morning and night hours in isolated parts of Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh between Saturday and Monday.

Another intense western disturbance is expected to affect northwest India between Monday and Wednesday, bringing isolated heavy rainfall and snowfall over the western Himalayan region on Tuesday, the Hindustan Times reported.

Northwestern India has been witnessing one of its driest winters on record, with an 84.8% rainfall deficit in December and an 84% shortfall during the first 10 days of January, leaving hill regions largely snowless during the peak winter period, the newspaper reported. This deficit is expected to reduce following the current spell of snowfall, the weather department said.