Mercury dips below freezing point in Valley; wet spell likely

Srinagar, December 25

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Cold conditions intensified in Kashmir as the minimum temperature dipped several degrees below the freezing point and many places experienced the season’s coldest night, officials said Sunday.

The Valley experienced a dry but colder Christmas this year, the MeT office said. However, there is a possibility of a wet spell next week.

Water lines freeze

• Minimum temperature dipped several degrees below freezing point in the Kashmir valley
• Intense cold led to freezing of water supply lines in many areas as well as interiors of Dal Lake
• MeT predicts dry weather till Monday, after which it is likely to moderate snowfall

The minimum temperature on Saturday night went several degrees below the freezing point and was below normal across the Valley except in Gulmarg, the officials said.

The intense cold conditions led to freezing of water supply lines in many areas as well as the freezing of the interiors of the Dal Lake, they said.

The minimum temperature in Srinagar settled at minus 5.8°C —down from minus 5.4°C on Thursday night, the officials said. The city experienced its coldest night so far this season, they added.

The officials said Pahalgam, which serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a low of minus 7°C, down from minus 6.4°C. The minimum temperature at the resort was the lowest so far this season. The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district recorded a low of minus 5.6°C.

The minimum temperature in frontier Kupwara district settled at the season’s lowest of minus 6°C, while Qazigund, the gateway town to the Valley, also recorded the season’s lowest of minus of 5°C, the officials said. Kokernag recorded a low of minus 2.2°C.

The MeT Office has forecast mostly dry weather in Jammu and Kashmir till Monday, after which it is likely to remain generally cloudy till December 30 in the UT with a possibility of light to moderate snowfall over the higher reaches.

There would be a slight improvement in the minimum temperature leading to some respite from the cold and dry weather from December 26-31, the MeT office said.

Kashmir is currently under the grip of Chillai Kalan — the 40-day harshest winter period when a cold wave grips the region and the temperature drops considerably leading to the freezing of water bodies as well as the water supply lines in several parts of the valley. The chances of snowfall are the most frequent and maximum during this period. Most areas, especially in the higher reaches, receive heavy snowfall. Chillai Kalan begins on December 21 and ends on January 30.