SRINAGAR : The higher reaches of Kashmir, including the tourist resorts of Gulmarg and Pahalgam, received fresh snowfall during the night, while some areas in the plains were lashed by rains, even as the Meteorological department here predicted a wet spell over the next few days.
There was light snowfall in the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg and the hill resort of Pahalgam during the night, an official of the Meteorological department said today.
He said while the department keeps no record of the snowfall in most of the higher reaches of Kashmir, there were reports of fresh snow in Peer Ki Gali on Mughal Road in Shopian, Sonamarg, Amarnath Cave Shrine and other such places in the upper reaches of the Valley.
The snowfall, along with rains, which first began during the day yesterday in many areas, broke the long dry spell in Kashmir which had resulted in the night temperature hovering several degrees below the freezing point and also led to increase in common ailments like cough and cold.
With the rains intermittent in the plains including in summer capital Srinagar – there was a huge improvement in the minimum temperature at most places in the Valley.
The mercury in Srinagar rose over a degree from the previous night’s 1 degree Celsius to settle at a low of 2.2 degrees Celsius, the official said.
He said the minimum in the city stayed above the freezing point for the second consecutive night after remaining below zero degrees Celsius for more than a fortnight.
The night temperature in Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir Valley, also went up from minus 2.3 degrees Celsius the previous night to settle above the freezing point at a low of 0.8 degree Celsius, the official said.
The mercury also marked an improvement in Kupwara town in north Kashmir which recorded the minimum of 1.7 degrees Celsius compared to the previous night’s minus 3.1 degrees Celsius.
Kokernag, in south, registered a low of minus 1.4 degrees Celsius, the official said.
The minimum temperature dropped in Gulmarg in north Kashmir, the star attraction for tourists visiting the Valley during winter, as it settled at minus 5.4 degrees Celsius from the previous night’s minus 2.6 degrees Celsius.
The hill resort of Pahalgam in south Kashmir, which serves as the base camp for annual Amarnath yatra, recorded a low of minus 2.3 degrees Celsius, the official said.
The night temperature in Leh settled at a low of minus 8.3 degrees Celsius up from the previous night’s low of minus 9.5 degrees Celsius, the official said.
He said the data for Kargil was not available.
The Meteorological Department has said there is possibility of isolated rains in the plains and light snowfall in the higher reaches of Kashmir for two days from today, while there are chances of widespread rains or snowfall for two days on January 29 or 30.
(AGENCIES)
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