Intense cold conditions continued in Kashmir Valley despite slight rise in mercury on Tuesday.
A meteorological department official here told that Srinagar recorded a low of minus 4.4°C against last night’s minus 5.4°C. Today’s minimum temperature was 2.3°C below normal for the summer capital, the official said. Srinagar has so far seen the coldest temperature this season on December 25 when mercury plummeted to minus 5.8°C.
Qazigund recorded a low of minus 5.8°C against minus 5.8°C on the previous night. The temperature was 2.1°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, he said.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 7.2°C against minus 9.6°C on the previous night which was the coldest night recorded this season in the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, he said. Today’s minimum temperature was 0.6°C below normal for the place, he said.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 4.1°C against minus 4.6°C on the previous night, he said. It was 0.6°C below normal for the place, he said.
The tourist resort of Gulmarg on Sunday recorded the season’s coldest night as the temperature plunged to -10°C.
The tourist resort of Pahalgam also recorded a low of -9.6°C. With the skies remaining clear, the minimum temperature touched -5.6°C in Srinagar, lower than the previous coldest night of the season when the temperature had dropped to -5.8°C.
Temperature also dropped in Ladakh with Leh recording a temperature of -16.6°C and Kargil registered -15.5°C at night. The MeT office has said that the weather is expected to be primarily dry between January 1 and 7. “Expect further fall in minimum temperatures across J&K. There will be warmer days and colder nights,” it said in a statement. Meteorological department officials have predicted another spell of snow in the Valley later this week.
The MeT said that there is possibility of light to moderate rain or snowfall in many places across Jammu and Kashmir on January 8 and 9. “The forecast may change in the coming days,” the MeT said.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 4.1°C against minus 5.7°C on the previous night in the north Kashmir area, he said. The official said that the temperature was 2.8°C below normal.
Jammu recorded a low of 3.6°C against 4.2°C on the previous night. It was 3.7°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of minus 1.4°C (below normal by 1.6°C), Batote 0.1°C (below normal by 1.9°C), Katra 5.0°C (1.3°C below normal) and Bhadarwah 0.2°C (0.7°C below normal).
In Ladakh, Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 14.0°C and minus 17.2°C respectively, the official said.
Kashmir is under the grip of Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day long harsh winter period that started on December 21. It does not mean an end to the winter either. It is followed by a 20-day-long period called ‘Chillai-Khurd’ that occurs between January 30 and February 19 and a 10-day-long period ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold) which is from February 20 to March 1.
Regarding the forecast, the MeT official said mainly clear weather was expected till January 6. “Expect further fall in minimum temperature across J&K,” he said, adding, “On January 7, weather is expected to be cloudy and from January 8-10, weather is expected to be cloudy with possibility of snowfall and rain (in plains of Jammu) at many places of J&K (70% chance).”
