Srinagar, Jan 1: The minimum temperature plummeted to season’s lowest in the famous resorts of Pahalgam and Gulmarg, recording a low of minus 9.4°C and 8.2°C respectively, even as Srinagar saw an increase for the second consecutive day on Sunday.
A meteorological department official here said that Srinagar recorded a low of 0.5°C against last night’s 0.4°C. The temperature was 2.6°C above normal for the summer capital, the official said. Srinagar has so far seen the coldest temperature this season on December 25 when mercury plummeted to minus 5.8°C.
Qazigund recorded a low of 0.3°C against 0.5°C on the previous night. The temperature was 3.2°C above normal for the gateway town of Kashmir, he said.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 9.4°C against minus 9.0°C on the previous night. The minimum temperature was 2.8°C below normal and the coldest night recorded this season in the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, he said.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 0.6°C against minus 0.6°C on the previous night, he said. It was 3.0°C above normal for the place, he said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 8.2°C against minus 8.0°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 1.2°C below normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the official said.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 4.5°C against minus 1.1°C on the previous night in the north Kashmir area, he said. The official said that the temperature was 2.0°C below normal.
Jammu recorded a low of 5.7°C against 6.1°C on the previous night. It was 1.6°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of 2.2°C (above normal by 2.0°C), Batote minus 0.3°C (below normal by 2.3°C), Katra 6.0°C (0.3°C below normal) and Bhadarwah minus 0.8°C (0.3°C above normal).
In Ladakh, Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 14.8°C, the official said.
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.
Regarding the forecast, the MeT official said that mainly dry weather was expected across J&K till January 8.
