Srinagar : Kashmir Valley received season’s first major snowfall with middle and higher reaches in several districts accumulating around one-foot of it, officials said on Thursday.
A meteorological department official said that in last 24 hours till 0830 hours, 10 to 15 inches of snow was received over middle and higher reaches of Kupwara, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Baramulla, Budgam, Anantnag, Kulgam and Shopian.
He said 6-8 inches of snow was recorded over lower reaches and Plains of North, North-western and South Kashmir.
Most parts in central Kashmir including Srinagar had thin blanket of snow with MeT saying 2-4 Inches were recorded.
There was also light to moderate rain with thunder over Jammu Division with light snow over a few middle and higher reaches.
Regarding the forecast, he said, generally cloudy weather is expected with light snow at few places till afternoon today (Feb 1) and gradual improvement thereafter.
On 2nd February , he said , the weather is expected to be generally dry with the possibility of very light snow at isolated higher reaches.
From February 3-4, he said, there is a possibility of light to moderate snow and rain (Jammu) at many places of J&K. From February 5th-12, generally dry weather is expected.
Meanwhile, night temperature recorded a drop with Srinagar recording a low of 0.2°C against 2.2°C on previous night and it was 0.9°C above normal for the summer capital of J&K for this time of the year.
Qazigund recorded a minimum of minus 0.4°C against 0.4°C on the previous night, he said. The minimum temperature was 1.7°C above normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, the MeT official said.
Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 4.1°C against 0.1°C on the previous night and it was 2.0°C above normal for the famous resort in south Kashmir.
Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a minimum of minus 1.4°C against 0.2°C on the previous night and the temperature was above normal by 1.0°C for the place, the official said.
Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 0.7°C against 1.3°C on the previous night and it was 1.6°C above normal there, the official said.
Gulmarg, the official said, recorded a low of minus 7.6°C against minus 3.0°C on the previous night and the temperature was normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir.
Jammu, he said, recorded a minimum of 7.2°C and it was below normal by 1.2°C for the winter capital of J&K.
Banihal recorded a low of 0.2°C, Batote 1.4°C and Bhaderwah 0.2°C, he said.
As ‘Chillai-Kalan’, the 40-day harsh period of winter ended on January 29, Kashmir is presently in the middle of 20-day-long winter period called ‘Chillai-Khurd’ that ends on February 19 and is followed by a 10-day-long period ‘Chillai-Bachha’ which starts from February 20 to March 1.
