Srinagar: Barring the famous resorts of Gulmarg and Pahalgam, the minimum temperature settled at an above freezing point in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.
A meteorological department official said that Srinagar, the summer capital of JK recorded a low of 2.4 against last night’s 2.6°C and had rainfall of 1.3mm in the last 24 hours till 8:30 am today.
Kashmir is presently under the grip of a 40-day long harshest period of winter, known locally as ‘Chillai Kalan, which started on December 21.
The mercury in the world-famous resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district settled at minus 5.1°C against minus 3.7°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 0.7°C above normal for the famous resort which recorded 3.3cms of fresh snowfall.
Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, had a low of 1.2°C against 0.8°C on the previous night, he said.
Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 1.3°C against 0.3°C on the previous night and had a snowfall of 0.4 cm.
Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a low of 1.2°C against 0.7°C on the previous night, the official said. It had rainfall of 5.2mm during the time, the official added.
Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a minimum of 2.2°C against 2.6°C on the previous night while as it had 0.3mm of rain, the official said.
Jammu, the JK’s winter capital, saw a low of 8.2°C which is normal for the place during this time of the year, he said.
Ladakh’s Leh had a low of 0.5°C against last night’s minus 6.6°C while Kargil recorded a minimum of minus 6.4°C.
Drass in Kargil, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 13.4°C, the official said.
“As expected, light to moderate snow, over higher reaches, occurred at a few places of Kashmir and Sonmarg-Drass axis. There’s no forest of any major/significant snow/rainfall till December 26,” the MeT official said.
He added, “A western disturbance of greater intensity is likely during 26 evening to 28 December. Due to this, Light to moderate snowfall (2-3Inches) in plains of Kashmir, moderate over higher reaches of JK at isolated places over higher reaches of JK, Zojila-Minamarg axis, and light snowfall at scattered places of Ladakh, especially Kargil-Zanskar area and light to moderate rain with thunderstorm is likely during the above period.”
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