Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Jan 4: Intense cold weather conditions continued in Kashmir as minimum temperature plummeted to minus 9.4°C in Pahalgam today.
A Meteorological Department official said 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 city. 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 the previous night. The temperature was 2.1°C below normal for the town.
Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 9.4°C against minus 7.2°C 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. Today’s minimum temperature was 2.8°C below normal for the place.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 3.8°C against minus 4.1°C on the previous night. It was 0.3°C below normal for the place.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 8.4°C against minus 9.2°C the previous night. It was 1.4°C below normal for the skiing resort which recorded its coldest night on January 2 when minimum temperature plummeted to minus 10.0°C.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 6.0°C against minus 4.1°C the previous night. The temperature was 3.5°C below normal.
Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 15.4°C and minus 18.7°C respectively.
Kashmir is under the grip of Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day long harsh winter period that started on December 21 and will end on Jan 30. 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-Bacha’ (baby cold) which is from February 20 to March 1.
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).”
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