Srinagar, Jan 4 : Intense cold conditions continued unabated in Kashmir Valley as minimum temperature dropped to minus 9.4°C in Pahalgam on Wednesday.
A meteorological department official here told GNS that Srinagar recorded a low of minus 5.2°C against last night’s minus 4.4°C. Today’s minimum temperature was 3.1°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 5.2°C against minus 5.0°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 9.4°C against minus 7.2°C on the previous night. The coldest night recorded this season in the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district was on January 2 when mercury plunged to minus 9.6°C, he said. Today’s minimum temperature was 2.8°C below normal for the place, he said.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 3.8°C against minus 4.1°C on the previous night, he said. It was 0.3°C below normal for the place, he said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 8.4°C against minus 9.2°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 1.4°C below normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district which recorded its coldest night on January 2 when minimum temperature plummeted to minus 10.0°C, the official said.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 6.0°C against minus 4.1°C on the previous night in the north Kashmir area, he said. The official said that the temperature was 3.5°C below normal.
Jammu recorded a low of 4.5°C against 3.6°C on the previous night. It was 2.8°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of 2.4°C (above normal by 0.2°C), Batote 2.0°C (normal), Katra 4.9°C (1.4°C below normal) and Bhadarwah Minus 1.2°C (0.7°C below normal).
In Ladakh, Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 15.4°C and minus 18.7°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’ 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).
