SRINAGAR: The minimum temperature dropped at most places in Kashmir as the valley braces up for spells of rain and snow ahead this week, including the possibility of the first snowfall in the plains this winter, officials said on Tuesday.
Srinagar recorded a low of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius on Monday night, down from the minus 1.2 degrees Celsius the previous night.
The tourist resort of Sonamarg in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district registered a low of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius and was the coldest recorded place in the valley. Shopian and Pulwama towns in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 4.8 degrees and minus 5.5 degrees Celsius, respectively.
Pahalgam tourist resort in south Kashmir, which also serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a low of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius - down from the previous night’s minus 1.8 degrees Celsius, the officials said.
The night temperature in the popular ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district settled at a low of minus 5.5 degrees Celsius - two degrees down from the previous night, they said.
The minimum temperature in Qazigund, the gateway town of the valley, settled at minus 2.3 degrees Celsius, the officials said.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 0.6 degrees Celsius and Kupwara minus 1.2 degrees Celsius, they added.
The Kashmir valley is currently in the midst of ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’, 40 days of extreme cold during which night temperatures often drop several degrees below the freezing point and the chances of snowfall are the highest.
‘Chilla-i-Kalan’, which began on December 21 last year, ends on January 30.
While the higher reaches of Kashmir have received spells of snowfall, the plains of the valley have remained snowless so far this winter. However, the Meteorological Department has forecast a possibility of snowfall in the plains of the valley, including Srinagar, this week.
Two western disturbances are likely to affect Jammu and Kashmir in quick succession during January 22-24 and 26-28, the Met Office said.
Under the influence of these systems, widespread light to moderate rainfall/snowfall is expected, with heavy falls at a few places and the main activity on January 23 and 27, it said. (PTI)
