PESHAWAR: Large parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa received heavy rain and snowfall during the ongoing spell, triggering road blockages, suspending power supply, and causing extreme cold.

The Met department said Kakul received 77mm of rain, Cherat 63, Kalam 59, Balakot 56, Saidu Sharif 54, Lower Dir 49, Peshawar 46, Chitral 39, Drosh 35, Takhtbai 28, Mirkhani 22 and Dir 18mm.

Similarly, Malma Jabba received 58 inches of snow, Kalam 30, Chitral 17, Parachinar 15, Upper Dir six and Pattan four inches.

The mountains surrounding the Peshawar valley also received heavy snowfall with a cold wave together with chilly winds gripping the region.

In Khyber district, a large number of displaced families leaving Tirah were stranded in a snowstorm.

A Rescue 1122 official said an operation was ongoing in Tirah, Painda Cheena, Dawatoi and Bagh Maidan to evacuate the stranded people.

The official said 50 stranded vehicles and around 100 affected people had been rescued in Tirah, and shifted to safer locations.

Landi Kotal also received snowfall, attracting a large number of nature lovers to the area.

Abbottabad city received snowfall after nine years, while Thandiyani received at least four feet of snow and Nathiagali, Dongagali, Ayubia, Changlagali and other hilly areas received three to four feet of snow.

Heavy snowfall blocked the Abbottabad-Murree Road from Bagnother to Barian. All the link roads in the Galiyats are also closed to traffic.

Heavy snowfall continued for the second consecutive day across Shangla district, blocking major roads, including key sections of the Karakoram Highway, and disrupting electricity supply to most areas on Friday.

Residents of Bisham tehsil reported receiving around seven inches of snow – the heaviest in more than a decade.

A Rescue 1122 spokesperson said a vehicle carrying five passengers that was stranded at Shangla Top had been successfully rescued.

Puran tehsil chairman Abdul Maula Khan said Alpuri-Puran Road and routes linking Alpuri to Swat at Shangla Top remained blocked due to heavy snowfall in Yakhtangay and surrounding areas.

Weather conditions improved in Lower Dir on Friday after a day of heavy rain and snowfall in the surrounding mountains.

The season’s first snowfall was recorded a day earlier in the hilly areas of Lower and Upper Dir.

Local residents said the road leading to Laram in Adenzai remained closed due to heavy snowfall.

In Lower Dir, the mountains of Maidan, Lajbok, Rabat Dara, Shahi and Bin Shahi were blanketed in snow, while Upper Dir areas, including Dir, Qalandai, Lowari Top, Kumrat, Thal, Dog Dara and Barawal Banda also received heavy snowfall.

The heaviest snowfall in more than a decade hit urban parts of the Hazara division, wreaking havoc by uprooting trees and electric pylons and blocking major arteries.

The season’s first heavy snowfall, which began in the early hours on Friday in parts of Mansehra, Torghar, Kolai-Palas, Upper Kohistan and Lower Kohistan districts, continued intermittently throughout the day, pushing temperatures down to around zero degrees Celsius, blocking the main Karakoram Highway and the Hazara Expressway.

The Kaghan Valley also received the heaviest snowfall of the season, uprooting trees and blocking the Mansehra-Naran-Jalkhad Road and the link road leading to Shogran and the rest of the high-altitude parts in Balakot tehsil.

Passengers and residents remained stranded on the KKH, Hazara expressway and MNJ Road in Mansehra, Upper and Lower Kohistan due to the heavy snowfall.

Electric supply remained suspended all day in most parts of the division.

Hazara range DIG Nasir Mehmood Satti warned tourists to adopt all precautionary measures before entering the snowbound areas across the Hazara division.

Hizbullah Khan, chairman of Battle village council, said the National Highway Authority and the communication and works department failed to clear the KKH at Battle, Chatterplain, Ichrian, Karmung and other affected areas.

Snowfall in several parts of Mohmand district on Friday led to a sharp drop in temperatures and disrupted daily life, particularly in remote areas.

According to local sources, snowfall was reported in border areas of Baizai, Khewaizai, Atokhel, Safi, Ambar, Upper Prang Ghar ,Yousaf Baba, Ghalanai, Gandao and Pindiali, leaving much of the district blanketed in white.

Residents complained of prolonged power outages caused by the inclement weather.

In Swabi, Beergali area of Gadoon Amazai remained cut off from rest of the country due to heavy snowfall on Friday night.

People said famous Mahaban Mountain also received heavy snow.

Fresh spell of snowfall transformed the Swat Valley into a stunning winter wonderland, attracting a large number of tourists from across the country. Snowfall was reported in Kalam, Malam Jabba, Bahrain, Mankyal, Gabin Jabba, Miandam, Madyan, Marghuzar, Lalko, Sulatanr, and several other upper areas, while rain continued intermittently in the lower regions.

Heavy snowfall and moderate rain continued for the second consecutive day on Friday in Bajaur district, turning the mountains and even some plain localities into white.

Meanwhile, residents of Lowi and War Mamund tehsils complained that snowfall blocked a number of roads.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2026