Over the weekend, the temperature in Jammu city dropped to the season’s lowest level at 4.1°C. The cold wave also persisted in the Valley, with Srinagar, Gulmarg, and Pahalgam recording minimum temperatures of -5.4°C, -4.5°C, and -6.3°C, respectively.
Other regions in the area also experienced low temperatures, with Katra recording 5.6°C, Batote 2.3°C, Bhaderwah -0.3°C, and Banihal -0.6°C as the minimum temperature. Meanwhile, Leh town in Ladakh recorded the lowest temperature of the night at -12.8°C.
The 40-day period of harsh winter cold, known as the ‘Chillai Kalan,’ began on December 21 and will end on January 30. So far, there has been no snowfall during the Chillai Kalan. If there isn’t enough snowfall during the remaining period, it could be bad news for Kashmir.
Heavy snowfall during these 40-day periods replenishes all the perennial water reservoirs in the higher regions of Kashmir. The reserves of snow in the mountains sustain various water bodies such as lakes, rivers, streams, and springs during the summer months.
