Srinagar: The Meteorological department here has forecast more snow from Friday but asserted that it was not going to be heavy as was seen last week.
Director Meteorology, Sonum Lotus said a weather system has built up which will lead to fresh snowfall from Friday. However, he said that it may not be as heavy as last week.
“Wet weather conditions marked by light to moderate snowfall and rains are likely to prevail till January 14,” he said.
Meanwhile, the day temperatures in Kashmir Valley hovered below normal for this times of the year with Srinagar recording 4.5 degree Celsius , a meteorological department official said.
The official said Qazigund the gateway town to the Valley recorded maximum of 6.9 degrees Celsius (below one degree from normal) while the nearby Kokernag registered maximum of 3.6 degrees Celsius.
The day temperature in Pahalgam, also in south Kashmir, was 1.8 degrees Celsius (two degrees below the normal), the official told INS.
The ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir was coldest place in the Valley as day temperature dropped to minus 2.6 degrees Celsius, he said.
Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded maximum of 7.1 degrees Celsius, he said.
Kashmir is currently under the grip of ‘Chillai-Kalan’ the 40-day harshest period of winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum and the temperature drops considerably.
‘Chillai-Kalan’ ends on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that in Kashmir.
The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold).