Temperatures plummet in Kashmir, Srinagar freezes at -3.0°C

A child holds ice sheet in his hands in Dal lake, parts of which were frozen as temperature in Srinagar plummeted to around minus 3 degrees celsius. -Excelsior/Shakeel
A child holds ice sheet in his hands in Dal lake, parts of which were frozen as temperature in Srinagar plummeted to around minus 3 degrees celsius. -Excelsior/Shakeel

Fayaz Bukhari

SRINAGAR, Dec 7 : Severe freezing weather conditions showed no signs of relenting as night temperature recorded a further drop in Kashmir with Pahalgam recording minus 5.6°C.
A Meteorological Department official said that mercury dropped in Pahalgam from last night’s 3.8°C by nearly 2°C and settled at minus 5.6°C and it was 2.4°C below normal for the tourist resort for this time of the year.
Srinagar recorded a minimum of minus 3.0°C against minus 2.2°C the previous night. So far, the coldest night at minus 3.4°C this season in the city was recorded on December 5.
Having remained engulfed in mist this morning, the MeT official said, today’s temperature was 2.4°C below the normal for this time of the year in Srinagar.
Qazigund recorded a low of minus 3.6°C against minus 2.2°C the previous night. The temperature was 2.8°C below normal for the town.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 1.9°C against minus 0.8°C the previous night and it was 1.2°C below normal for the place.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 4.0°C against minus 3.5°C the previous night. It was 0.3°C below normal for the skiing resort.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 3.1°C against 2.7°C the previous night. It was 1.3°C below normal for the place.
Leh recorded minus 11.0°C, Kargil minus 11.6°C.
The MeT department has already forecast light to moderate snowfall in Kashmir from the evening of December 9 to 10.
“A fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect J&K and adjoining areas from December 9. Under the influence of the system, there is a possibility of light snow over plains and lower reaches, light to moderate snow over middle and higher reaches during December 9 (evening) to December 10 (evening) particularly over north, northwestern, central parts of Kashmir and South Kashmir,” the MeT official said, adding, “Light rain was expected at isolated to scattered places of Jammu.”