Srinagar: After three days of sporadic light snowfall, people in Kashmir Valley woke up to a clear sky on Sunday morning. Minimum temperatures rose slightly in Srinagar and remained above normal for this time of the year while as it plunged to minus 9.0 degrees Celsius.
According to meteorological department official, Srinagar, the summer capital of the state recorded a low minus 0.4 degree Celsius as against minus 0.8 degrees Celsius on previous night.
The official said Qazigund the gateway town to the Valley recorded low of minus 0.9 degrees Celsius, while the nearby Kokernag registered a low of minus 3.3 degrees Celsius.
The night temperature in Pahalgam, also in south Kashmir, settled at a low of minus 2.8 degrees Celsius.
The ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded the minimum temperature of minus 9.0 degrees Celsius against minus 6.0 degree Celsius on previous night.
Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded a low of 1.5 degrees Celsius against 0.2 degrees Celsius on previous night, 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).
