Many areas of Kashmir Valley and Jammu region received fresh snowfall even as the weatherman forecast overall improvement from Monday till January 29, officials said.
A meteorological department official here told GNS that Srinagar received 6.1mm rainfall in last 24 hours till 0830 hours today while the summer capital of the J&K recorded a low of 0.4°C against last night’s 2.3°C, he said.
Kashmir is presently under the grip of 40-day long harshest period of winter, known locally as ‘Chillai Kalan, which started from December 21. It is followed by a 20-day long ‘Chillai Khurd’ and a 10-day-long ‘Chilla Bachha’.
Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, had 13.2cms of snowfall and recorded a low of 0.0°C against 0.2°C on the previous night, he said.
Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, had 14.5 cms of snowfall during the time and recorded a low of minus 0.7°C against minus 1.9°C on the previous night, the official said.
Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, had 7.0cms of snowfall and recorded a low of minus 1.2°C against minus 2.4°C on the last night, he said.
Gulmarg had about 5.8cms of fresh snowfall during the time and recorded a low of minus 6.0°C against minus 6.5°C on previous night, he said. The temperature was 2.2°C above normal for this time of the year in the famous resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Kupwara town in north Kashmir received 2.1mm of rainfall during the time while as it recorded a low of 1.2°C against 1.4°C as on the previous night, the official said.
Jammu, received 13.7mm of rain and recorded a low of 8.7°C against previous night’s 10.1°C which is 1.7°C above normal for the J&K’s winter capital during this time of the year, he said.
Banihal had 2 cms of snowfall during the time and recorded a low of 0.0°C, Katra had 50.6mm of rainfall and recorded minimum of 7.2°C while Bhaderwah had 8.8cms of snowfall and recorded a low of 0.6°C, the official said. Batote had 2.8cms of snowfall during the time, the official said.
Ladakh’s Leh recorded a low of minus 9.0°C against last night’s minus 11.4°C while mercury at automatic station in Kargil settled at minus 8.2°C. Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 10.8°C against last night’s minus 11.9°C, official said.
The weatherman has forecast improvement in the weather from January 24 till January 29.
“ Currently, weather is overcast at most places of J&K with report of widespread light to moderate rain/snow in both Jammu and Kashmir regions,” the official said, adding, “Intermittent, light to moderate rain/snow is likely to continue till this evening.”
He said gradual decrease in precipitation was expected from Sunday evening and overall improvement from January 24 onwards till 29th. “However, FOG may develop in plains of Jammu during 26-28th,” he said, adding, “There’s NO forecast of any Major Precipitation till ending January.” (GNS)