Srinagar: The mercury dropped in most parts of Kashmir Valley as hill resort of Pahalgam recorded a low minus 13.6 Degree Celsius while Gulmarg, the world famous skiing place, witnessed minimum of minus 12.6 degrees Celsius.
According to a meteorological department official here, Srinagar, the summer capital of the state, recorded a low of minus 3.5 degrees Celsius, down from previous night’s minus 1.4 degree Celsius.
The night temperature in Pahalgam also dropped from minus 13.0 Degrees Celsius on previous night to settle at minus 13.6 degree Celsius on last night, he said.
Gazigund, the gateway town of Valley, recorded a low of minus 5.0 degrees Celsius while Kokernag in south Kashmir, recorded a minimum of minus 3.7 degree Celsius against minus 6.9 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 12.6 degrees Celsius last night as against minus 12.0 degrees Celsius on the previous night.
Kupwara town in north Kashmir registered a low of minus 6.3 degree Celsius last night, up from the previous night’s 6.5 degrees Celsius on the previous night, the official said.
The night temperature in Leh and Kargil dipped to minus 15.9 degrees Celsius but Drass remained the coldest as it recorded season’s coldest night at 31.4 degrees Celsius.
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).
