Pictures by Zargar Zahoor
Srinagar, Jan 15: The minimum temperatures dropped further in Jammu and Kashmir with Pahalgam recording season’s coldest night at minus 10.9°C on Sunday.
A meteorological department official here said that Srinagar recorded a low of minus 0.6°C against last night’s minus 0.1°C. Today’s minimum temperature was 1.5°C above normal for the summer capital, he said.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of minus 0.7°C against minus 0.4°C on the previous night and it was 2.4°C above normal for the gateway town.
Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 10.9°C against minus 5.9°C on the previous night and it was 3.8°C above normal. It was the coldest night recorded this season in the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, surpassing January 2 temperature when mercury plunged to minus 9.6°C.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 1.4°C against minus 1.2°C on the previous night, he said. It was 2.2°C above normal for the place.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 10.4°C against minus 11.0°C on the previous night which was the coldest night so far recorded there, the official said. It was 2.5°C below normal in the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the official said.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 1.3°C against minus 3.6°C on the previous night and it was 1.6°C abovenormal in the north Kashmir area, he said.
Jammu recorded a low of 4.6°C against 6.6°C on the previous night. It was 2.4°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of minus 2.7°C (below normal by 2.6°C), Batote minus 1.2°C (below normal by 2.8°C), Katra 5.4°C (0.5°C below normal) and Bhadarwah minus 3.2°C (2.1°C below normal).
Ladakh, Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 15.4°C and minus 18.5°C respectively, the official said.
He said till January 18, weather is likely to be mainly dry and partly cloudy. There is also a possibility of fog in plains of Jammu & Kashmir during morning hours.
He said another Western Disturbance was likely to affect J&K from January 19th onwards and chances of precipitation are 60%.
Kashmir is under the grip of Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day long harsh winter period that started on December 21. It does not mean an end to the winter either. It is followed by a 20-day-long period called ‘Chillai-Khurd’ that occurs between January 30 and February 19 and a 10-day-long period ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold) which is from February 20 to March 1.
