The minimum temperatures recorded a plunge in Kashmir Valley with Gulmarg recording season’s coldest night at minus 12.0°C on Monday.
An official said that Srinagar recorded a low of minus 1.9°C against last night’s minus 0.6°C. Today’s minimum temperature was 0.2°C above normal for the summer capital, he said.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of minus 5.6°C against minus 0.7°C on the previous night and it was 2.3°C below normal for the gateway town.
Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 10.2°C against minus 10.9°C on the previous night which was the coldest night recorded this season in the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Today’s minimum temperature was 3.0°C below normal for the place, he said.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 6.6°C against minus 1.4°C on the previous night, he said. Besides being 2.7°C below normal for the place, the temperature was the lowest recorded this season there.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 12.0°C against minus 10.4°C on the previous night. While the mercury was 4.3°C below normal, it was the coldest night so far recorded in the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the official said.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 2.9°C against minus 1.3°C on the previous night and it was 0.2°C above normal in the north Kashmir area, he said.
Jammu recorded a low of 4.1°C against 4.6°C on the previous night. It was 3.0°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of minus 1.5°C (below normal by 1.3°C), Batote minus 1.4°C (below normal by 3.2°C), Katra 4.5°C (1.7°C below normal) and Bhadarwah minus 1.0°C (0.1°C below normal).
Ladakh, Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 14.4°C and minus 21.2°C respectively, the official said.
He said till January 18, weather is likely to be mainly dry and partly cloudy. There is also a possibility of fog in plains of Jammu Kashmir during morning hours.
“From January 19-21st, weather is likely to be cloudy with chances of light rain/snow over isolated to scattered places mainly over higher reaches,” he said, adding, “From 22nd to 24th, there is possibility of light to moderate rain and snow over plains and moderate snow over middle and higher reaches most likely during 23rd/24th January at most places of J&K.”
Kashmir is under the grip of Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day long harsh winter period that started on December 21. It does not mean an end to the winter either. It is followed by a 20-day-long period called ‘Chillai-Khurd’ that occurs between January 30 and February 19 and a 10-day-long period ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold) which is from February 20 to March 1._(GNS)