Slight improvement in weather, cold wave persists across Kashmir

People go about their daily lives in Srinagar as the cold wave continues on Saturday. -Excelsior/Shakeel
People go about their daily lives in Srinagar as the cold wave continues on Saturday. -Excelsior/Shakeel

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Nov 29: Kashmir saw a slight improvement in weather today as Srinagar recorded a minimum of -3.1°C, up from -4.4°C the previous night, yet sub-zero temperatures continued across the Valley, keeping the region firmly in the grip of a cold wave.
Despite the marginal rise in Srinagar, sub-zero temperatures were reported across the Valley. According to the Meteorological Department, Pampore was the coldest in the Valley at -6.0°C, Zethan Rafiabad at -5.6°C, Pahalgam at -5.2°C, Srinagar Airport at -5.2°C, Awantipora at -5.0°C, Kupwara at -4.9°C, Qazigund at -3.4°C, Kokernag at -1.6°C, and Gulmarg at -1.3°C.
In the tourist circuit, Gulmarg, Pahalgam, Kokernag and the Sonamarg-Zojila belt continued to reel under intense cold, with the MeT Department noting that minimum temperatures in many areas were 2-4°C below normal for this time of year. The wider Himalayan region also remained frozen, with Zojila Pass emerging as the coldest location at -16.0°C.
The cold further tightened its grip on the Jammu division. Jammu city recorded 9.4°C, Katra 8.6°C, Kathua 7.8°C, Udhampur 4.0°C, Batote 4.4°C, Rajouri 1.2°C, Bhaderwah 0.4°C, and Banihal -0.3°C. The winter chill extended to the plains as Jammu Airport also registered 9.4°C.
Harsh conditions persisted in Ladakh as temperatures dipped far below freezing. Kargil recorded -10.2°C, followed by Leh at -9.0°C and Nubra Valley at -8.5°C, indicating an early intensification of winter in the high-altitude Himalayan desert.
The MeT Department has forecast mainly dry weather across Jammu and Kashmir until December 1, with no significant change expected in the temperature pattern.