Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Dec 21: The traditional 40-day long period of harsh winter known as Chillai Kalan (Big Chill) began in Kashmir today with rains in the Valley and snowfall in the hills.
The period known for bone chilling cold with sub-zero temperatures, frozen lakes and rivers, however, started on a gentler note with night temperatures showing improvement due to rains and snow.
The 40 day period starts from December 21 and it is followed by 20 days of Chillai Khurd (smaller Chill) and 10 days of Challia Baccha (Baby Chill).
“Due to overnight rains and cloud cover, the minimum temperatures throughout Jammu and Kashmir have improved on Thursday,” said a MeT official.
North Kashmir received rains since morning while in Srinagar it was cloudy throughout the day with showers in the evening. The hills in Kashmir received fresh snowfall. However, the National Highway and other roads were open for the traffic with Mughal road and Srinagar -Leh National highway already closed for last two weeks due to snowfall.
The overnight cloud cover and rains and snowfall led to increase in the night temperatures and there was relief to the people from freezing night temperatures.
The minimum temperature was 3.1 degrees Celsius in Srinagar. This has brought relief to locals from frozen water taps and biting morning cold. The day temperature of the place, however, settled at 9 Degree Celsius.
In Pahalgam, the minimum temperature rose above the freezing point to 0.3 degrees Celsius while day temperature settled at 3.9 degrees Celsius. Gulmarg also showed improvement from Wednesday’s minus 5 to a minus 2.8 degrees Celsius today while day temperature settled at 1.6 degrees Celsius.
The mercury in Qazigund in South Kashmir settled at a low of 2.6 degrees Celsius, two degrees up from 0.8 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag town recorded a low of 1.9 degrees Celsius. The maximum day temperatures of Qazigund and Kokernag settled at 7.0 degree Celsius and 6.8 degrees Celsius respectively.
Kupwara town in north Kashmir registered a low of 2.2 degrees Celsius and the maximum day temperature was 7.5 degree Celsius.
The minimum temperatures in Leh and Kargil towns were minus 9.2 and minus 6.2 degrees Celsius and maximum settled at 7.3 degrees Celsius and 0.8 degrees Celsius respectively.
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