Fayaz Bukhari/
Gopal Sharma
SRINAGAR/ JAMMU, Jan 2: Western Disturbances (WD) may hit Jammu and Kashmir from January 3 to 5, causing rain and fresh snowfall, leading to closure of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway while temperature continued to remain sub zero in Kashmir whereas, some improvement in weather was witnessed in Jammu region during last two days.
Meteorological Department forecast snowfall across Kashmir next week as cold wave conditions continue here with temperatures further dipping. The winter capital Jammu witnessed light rain during late evening as the sky turned cloudy in the evening.
Director, Meteorological department (MeT), J&K, Sonum Lotus said that there is possibility of moderate snowfall across Kashmir on January 4 and 5.
He said hills, especially in Pir Panchal and Chenab would experience heavy snowfall during the period. “The wet spell would begin from January 3 evening and persist till January 5”, he said.
The MeT official said that foggy mornings will also come to an end in plain areas of Jammu region from next 2-3 days. He appealed people not to venture out in hilly areas during the period to avoid any untoward incident.
Lotus said that the Srinagar-Jammu highway may also be closed after fresh snowfall at Pir Panchal, adding that those scheduled to travel to and from Srinagar should confirm the situation of the road before travelling.
Showing further improvement in weather, Jammu recorded day temperature of 20 Degree Celsius while the night temperature remained 5.5 degree; holy township of Katra recorded a minimum temperature of 5.2 degree and maximum 18.4 degree C, tourist resort Bhaderwah had night temperature of minus 2.1 degree C and maximum 9 deg C, Banihal town minus 1.2 degree while Batote a minimum temperature of 0.5 degree C.
Meanwhile, Kashmir valley continues to reel under intense cold conditions as Srinagar recorded a low of minus 5.9°C while mercury settled at minus 8.4°C in Pahalgam.
In Ladakh, Kargil remained the coldest with minimum temperature plunging to minus 20.4°C while Leh recorded a low of 15.6°C.
The minimum temperature in Srinagar was five notches higher than the previous night’s minus 6.4°C. So far the season’s coldest night in Srinagar was recorded on December 19 last when the mercury plunged to minus 6.6°C.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 7.5°C against minus 9.0 on the previous night. Pahalgam was the coldest place in the Valley at minus 8.4°C and on previous night the mercury had settled at a low of minus 7.8°C. Qazigund recorded minus 6.1°C against minus 5.7°C on the earlier night, Kupwara recorded minus 6.1°C while Kokernag a low of minus 6.4°C temperature.
Kashmir is in the middle of Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day winter period which commenced on December 21 and ends on January 31. The period is considered the harshest of the winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum.
The cold wave, however, continues even after that in Kashmir with a 20-day-long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold).
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