With the winter’s core period — famously known as ‘Chillai Kalan’ — still weeks away, the minimum temperatures across the Kashmir valley have dropped several degrees below the freezing point marking an early arrival of winter in the region.
The night temperatures across the Valley, including in the summer capital, have dropped several degrees below the freezing point over the past week. The overnight temperature in the city was recorded at -3.2°C, which was two degrees below the normal, and marked a continuity of freezing night temperatures.
The Valley is facing an erratic weather and unusual pattern of spells of precipitation which is leading to lengthy droughts and untimely snowstorms.
The untimelysnowfall last month significantly affected the weather in the region, leading as the sky remained overcast and day temperatures also plummeted.
The coldest temperature overnight was recorded in Pahalgam where mercury plunged to -5.5°C, an official of the local Meteorological Centre said. The mercury dropped to -4°C in Gulmarg while the minimum temperature in Kupwara town was -3.2°C.
The drastic drop in the night temperature marks an early arrival of winter in the Valley even as the winter’s 40 day-core period begins on December 21.
