The maximum day temperatures climbed 2 to 4 degrees above normal across the Himalayan valley on Friday, with mercury settling at 11.5 degrees Celsius in the summer capital Srinagar.
Kashmir witnessed a sunny day on Friday while temperatures on the previous night plunged several degrees below normal, the Srinagar meteorological (MeT) centre said.
The maximum day temperatures climbed 2 to 4 degrees above normal across the Himalayan valley on Friday, with mercury settling at 11.5 degrees Celsius in the summer capital Srinagar.
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“The day temperature in Srinagar was 2.3 notches above normal while the minimum on previous night in the capital was -4.8 degrees Celsius, some 4.4 notches below normal,” said an official of MeT.
Shahid Bhat, a Srinagar resident who drives a tourist cab, said the day is becoming cozy, but nights are freezing cold. “The early mornings and late evenings are equally cold,” he said.
The highest temperature of 11.6 degrees Celsius was recorded in north Kashmir’s frontier district of Kupwara, some three notches above normal. “The minimum in Kupwara was -4.9 degrees Celsius,” the MeT official said.
The southern Pahalgam tourist resort was coldest during the night at -10.3 degrees C while the mercury settled at 8 degrees C in the region, some 2.1 notches above normal.
The ski resort of Gulmarg in the north recorded minimum temp of -9 degrees C and maximum temperature of 5.8 degrees C was experienced during the day.
A meteorological update said the gateway to Kashmir in South Kashmir, Qazigund recorded a minimum of -6.4 degrees C (day temperature was 9.6 degrees C) while the southern area of Kokernag observed a minimum of -5 degrees C and a maximum of 9.1 degrees C.
MeT director Mukhtar Ahmad said the weather will remain dry till February 17. “There can be occasional cloudy weather on February 14,” he said.
The MeT also predicted another spell of snow on February 18 to 20. “There is a possibility of light to moderate snow and rain from February 18 to 20,” he said.
After a prolonged dry and warm winter, the Kashmir valley witnessed widespread snowfall and rains last week. The valley is passing through the second and moderate phase of winter called Chillai Khurd after the harshest 40-day period ended on January 29 with warm and dry days.
