Severe cold conditions continued in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh on Saturday as Srinagar had coldest night of the season with mercury plunging to minus 3.6°C.
A meteorological department official here told GNS that the minimum temperature in Srinagar, the summer capital of J&K, was more than two degrees Celsius than the normal for this time of the year. Today’s minimum temperature surpassed that of yesterday (December 10) when the mercury fell to minus 2.6°C.
Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, had a low of minus 3.7°C against minus 2.4°C on the previous night, he said.
Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 6.4°C against minus 5.9°C on previous night.
Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 3.4°C against minus 1.4°C on previous night, the official said.
Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 4.3°C against minus 3.8°C on the previous night, the official said.
Gulmarg, the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, witnessed a minimum of minus 5.5°C against minus 6.0°C on the previous night, the official said.
Jammu, the J&K’s winter capital saw a low of 6.7°C which is three degrees Celsius below normal, they said.
Ladakh’s Leh recorded a low of minus 12.1°C against last night’s minus 11.0°C while Kargil station had minimum of minus 10.6°C. Drass in Kargil, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 18.0°C, the official added.
Weatherman has forecast mainly dry till December 14. “Light to moderate snow/rain in likely at scattered places of J&K on December 15,” the official said, adding, “There is no forecast for major snowfall till 20th December in both J&K and Ladakh.” He said that there would be warmer days and colder nights in J&K and Ladakh till December 14. (GNS)