With overnight cloud cover, most places other than Gulmarg recorded above sub-zero temperature during the night for the first time in many days.
A meteorological department official here told GNS that Srinagar had 2.1mm of rainfall till 0830 hours while the summer capital recorded a minimum of 0.6°C against the previous night’s minus 0.7°C. The temperature was above 1.5°C for this time of the year. Mercury fell as low as minus 2.5°C recently which was the lowest temperature recorded this season so far.
Qazigund had 2.0mm of rain even as it recorded a minimum temperature of 3.4°C against minus 0.4°C on the previous night, he said. The temperature was 4.4°C above normal for the gateway town of Kashmir for this time of the year, the official said.
Pahalgam had 0.1mm of rainfall while as it recorded a low of 2.7°C against minus 2.0°C on the previous night. The famous resort in south Kashmir had been the coldest place in the entire Valley recently.
Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, had no rainfall while as it recorded a low of 2.3°C against minus 2.3°C on the previous night which is above normal of minus 1.4°C by 2.9°C, the official said.
Kupwara town in north Kashmir also had no rain even as it recorded a low of 1.6°C against minus 1.3°C on the previous night, the official said.
Gulmarg, the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir, recorded a minimum of minus 1.4°C against minus 1.2°C on the previous night, the official said. While there was no rain or snowfall till 0830 hours when observations were shared by the MeT department, reports reaching GNS said that snowfall started in the famous resort.
Ladakh’s Leh recorded a low of minus 6.4°C against last night’s minus 6.6°C while Kargil town recorded a low of minus 0.4°C. Drass in Kargil, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 5.1°C, the official said.
The official said that there was light snowfall in Drass-Kargi area. The weatherman said that rains and snowfall was likely to increase gradually in intensity and distribution for now.
“Light Rain/Snow is most likely to continue till next 12-18 hours,” the official said, adding, “There is no forecast of any major snowfall.” The weatherman said that there would be overall improvement most likely from Monday onwards.
Meanwhile, following accumulation of 2 to 3 inches snow at Razdan top and continuous snowfall, Bandipora-Gurez road has been closed, officials said. (GNS)