Freeze Unabated In Kashmir, Gulmarg shivers at -11°C

Srinagar, Dec 30: Mercury dipped across Kashmir Valley last night with Gulmarg, the world famous skiing resort, recording a low of minus 11.0 degree Celsius, the weatherman said on Wednesday.   The minimum temperature in Srinagar settled at minus 2.1°C against 0.0°C on the previous night, a MeT officia said. Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 11.0°C against minus 7.5°C on the previous night. Pahalgam, the famous tourist destination in south Kashmir, recorded a minimum of minus 9.0°C against minus 3.0°C on the previous night. Qazigund recorded minus 2.5°C against minus 0.4°C on the previous night, Kupwara recorded minus 2.8°C while Kokernag was the third coldest place in Valley as the mercury settled at minus 6.5 °C last night, the official said. Kashmir is in the middle Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day winter period which commenced on December 21 and ends on January 31. The period is considered the harshest of the winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum. The cold wave, however, continues even after that in Kashmir with a 20-day-long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold). The weatherman has forecast mainly dry weather over Jammu and Kashmir for next week or so, saying there would be no significant change before January 5 when there is the possibility of widespread snow and rain across the Valley. (