Most places across Kashmir experienced a rise in minimum temperatures, though they remained below freezing, with Srinagar recording a low of minus 0.9°C on Saturday.
Srinagar’s Meteorological Centre said the overnight minimum temperature in Gulmarg ski resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district was recorde at -8.2° Celsius.
Pahalgam, the popular tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, recorded a significant improvement in its overnight minimum temperature. The mercury rose to -3.4°C on Friday night, offering some respite from the bone-chilling cold of the previous night when temperatures had plunged to a freezing -11.8°C.
MeT said that Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of -0.9°C, which, though higher than the previous night, was still 2.0°C below normal for this time of year.
Other parts of the Kashmir valley also registered freezing temperatures. Qazigund-the gateway town to the valley in South Kashmir, recorded -2.5°, while Kokarnag and Kupwara recorded minimums of -2.8°C and -1.3°C, respectively.
Kashmir is currently in the grip of ‘Chillai-Kalan,’ the harshest phase of winter that began on December 21. Spanning 40 days, this period is characterized by a significant drop in temperatures and heightened chances of snowfall, making it the coldest and most challenging time of the season. The ‘Chillai-Kalan’ ends on January 30.
In the Jammu division, the minimum temperatures were comparatively warmer but still showed a seasonal chill. Jammu city recorded 8.5°C, while Banihal and Batote registered -1.4°C and 3.5°C, respectively. Katra noted a minimum temperature of 9.1°C, staying slightly below the seasonal average.
The MeT has predicted mainly dry weather in Kashmir till January 19.
There is a possibility of very light snow at at isolated to scattered scattered places from January 20 to 23 in Jammu and Kashmir. The weather is predicted to remain dry from January 24 for next three days.
