Srinagar: The night temperatures plunged across Kashmir Valley and at minus 15 Degree Celsius, the famous hill resort of Pahalgam recorded its coldest January night in six years.
A meteorological department official told INS that Pahalgam, which also serves as base camp to Amarnath cave shrine, had recorded a low of minus 16.6 Degrees Celsius on 21 January 2012.
Srinagar, the summer capital of the state, recorded a low of minus 6.4 degrees Celsius, down from previous night’s minus 0.8 degree Celsius.
Qazginund, the gateway town of Kashmir, saw a low of minus 5.9 degree ceslius as against minus 0.9 degrees Celsius on previous night while Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a minimum of minus 4.2 degree Celsius against minus 3.3 degrees Celsius on previous night.
The MeT official said that the mercury at the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir settled at minus 12.0 degrees Celsius last night as against minus 9.0 degrees Celsius on the previous night.
Kupwara town in north Kashmir registered a low of minus 5.4 degree Celsius last night, down from the previous night’s minus 1.5 degrees Celsius, the official said.
The night temperature in Leh and Kargil dipped to minus 16.2 degrees Celsius and minus 18.0 degrees, respectively.
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).
The meteorological department has predicted another wet spell from January 19 which “might change as well. The day temperature is expected see a gradual increase in next four days as there was bright sunlight in Srinagar on Monday morning.
