"The highway leading to Tangdhar has been closed for traffic due to the accumulation of heavy snow," said a police spokesman said in Srinagar, the summer capital of the mountainous Kashmir region.

He said some 40 inches (100 centimetres) of snow had accumulated at Sadna Pass, the crest of the road to the remote village, which is usually isolated for two to four months in winter.

The government and army stockpile rations and kerosene for the winter months well in advance and this year worked overtime to keep the road open to enable aid groups carry relief supplies to the quake affected areas.

It has been snowing in Kashmir since Sunday morning.

Some 1,300 people were killed by the devastating earthquake in Indian Kashmir and over 150,000 left homeless. In Pakistan and its portion of Kashmir more than 73,000 people were killed and millions left homeless.

The heavy snowfall also closed down the region's main highway connecting Srinagar with the winter capital Jammu, police said.

"We have closed the highway for traffic due to snow," traffic police officer Zahoor Ahmed told AFP.

He said specialised trucks had been pressed into service to clear the snow from the 300-kilometer (180-mile) long highway that snakes through Himalayan foothills and is the only supply line for the Kashmir valley.

"We are worried about the people living in tents," said Akeela Urfi from Action Aid.

Residents said it had been snowing heavily in mountain villages, forcing people to brave cold to clear snow from their sheds.

"We removed snow from our sheds despite falling snow and bitter cold," said Reyaz Ahmed from Garkote village. "These temporary sheds cannot withstand the weight of snow."

He said some of the dwellings had already caved in due to snow, but there have been no casualties.

Snow also closed down the region's main airport in Srinagar, officials said.

A cold snap sweeping northern India has killed more than 100 people since the start of December.

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