The minimum temperature recorded a further increase at most places on Sunday as Kashmir braces for snowfall in next 48 hours.
A meteorological department official said that Srinagar recorded a low of minus 0.1°C against last night’s minus 1.4°C. Today’s minimum temperature was 1.8°C above normal, he said.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of minus 1.3°C against minus 1.6°C. Today’s minimum temperature was 1.8°C above normal for the gateway town, he said.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 1.4°C against minus 2.8°C on the previous night. Today’s minimum temperature was 5.6°C above normal for the place, he said. The coldest night recorded this season in the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district was on January 2 when mercury plunged to minus 9.6°C.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 1.6°C against minus 1.4°C on the previous night, he said. It was 2.4°C above normal for the place.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 3.4°C against minus 2.6°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 2.4°C above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district which recorded its coldest night on January 2 when minimum temperature plummeted to minus 10.0°C, the official said.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at 0.4°C against minus 2.6°C on the previous night in the north Kashmir area, he said. The official said that the temperature was 3.1°C above normal.
Jammu recorded a low of 5.0°C, the same as on the previous night. It was 2.4°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of 3.4°C (above normal by 3.4°C), Batote 6.9°C (above normal by 5.4°C), Katra 10.2°C (4.2°C above normal) and Bhadarwah 4.0°C (5.0°C above normal).
On January 8-9, the meteorological department official told GNS that there is possibility of light to moderate snowfall(rain in plains of Jammu) at many places of J&K (more than 75% chance).
From 10-11th January, he said, weather is livelily to be “generally cloudy”.
From 12-13 January, he said, there is possibility of widespread moderate snowfall (rain in plains of Jammu) with “heavy snowfall” over higher reaches (more than 75% chances).
He said that the weather system “very likely” to affect surface transportation during 8-9th January (70% chance) and air transportation during 12-13th January (60-70% chance).
In Ladakh, Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 10.8°C and minus 14.8°C respectively, the official said.
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.
