Srinagar: The mercury plummeted in Kashmir last night with Srinagar, the summer capital of the state, recording a low of minus 5.4 degrees Celsius, meteorology department said on Tuesday.
Pahalgam, which serves as base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra in south Kashmir, remained coldest place in Valley, witnessing a minimum of minus 13.7 degrees Celsius.
The MeT official said Qazigund the gateway town to the valley – in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 7.8 degrees Celsius while the nearby Kokernag town registered a low of minus 7.3 degrees Celsius last night.
The ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded the minimum temperature of minus 12. 2 degrees Celsius while Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 7.8 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).
