SRINAGAR: Upper reaches in the Kashmir valley besides world famous health resort of Pahalgam and Sonamarg received fresh snowfall while plains, including Srinagar, continued to shiver due to bone chilling cold though the minimum temperature at some places was above normal.
A Met department spokesman has predicted dry and chilly weather during the next 24 hours in Jammu and Kashmir.
Leh and Kargil in Ladakh region freezes at minus 11.3 degree and minus 11.5 degree respectively. Several inches of fresh snowfall was received early this morning, a hotel owner told UNI over phone from Pahalgam, about 100 km from here in south Kashmir.
Roof and tree tops besides fields had turned white as people woke up this morning, he said adding the sky was now cloudy.
Due to fresh snowfall the minimum temperature witnessed considerable drop. Against minus 2.1 degree minimum temperature it was minus 6.3, more than two notches below normal.
However, at holy Amarnath cave shrine and its periphery, Panjterni, Sheshnag, Mahaguns, Pisso top and Chandanwari received moderate to heavy snowfall during the past 24 hours.
The upper heights in the south Kashmir, including tourist resort of Deksum, Ahrabal, Pir-ki-Gali and Shopian also received fresh snowfall.
About 10 inches of fresh snowfall was experienced at Sonmarg, a tourist resort in the central Kashmir district of Ganderbal on Srinagar-Leh national highway, closed for traffic for six winter months.
Baltal, base camp of holy Amarnath cave shrine also received fresh snowfall.
The upper reaches in Gulmarg, including Kongdori, Khilanmarg and Affarwat, the highest skiing point connected by Cable Car also received fresh snowfall, an official of tourism department said adding it was cloudy.
The famed ski resort recorded coldest night of the season after the minimum temperature dropped and settled at minus 11.4 degree, freezing water bodies. The earlier coldest was minus 11 degree recorded on December 21.
The other heights in the north Kashmir, including areas near the Line of Control (LoC) also experienced fresh snowfall.
After witnessing above normal minimum temperature, people in the summer capital, Srinagar woke up to a cloudy and chilly morning. Against yesterdays 0.1 degree, the minimum temperature in the city was minus 0.3 degree.
The coldest so far was recorded on December 21 when it dropped to minus 5.6 degree, freezing water bodies and taps.
Qazigund, gateway of Kashmir witnessed some improvement in the minimum temperature while it dropped further at Kupwara and Kokernag. (UNI)
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