Night temperatures dip below freezing point in Gulmarg, Pahalgam

Night temperatures in tourist resorts of Gulmarg and Pahalgam in Kashmir fell several degrees below freezing point, while the rest of the Valley enjoyed a warmer night, officials said on Wednesday.

Gulmarg, the popular ski resort located in the Baramulla district of north Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 8.0 degrees Celsius, marking a drop of 2.7 degrees compared to Tuesday night, they added.

Pahalgam, a tourist resort in south Kashmir that serves as the base camp for the Amarnath Yatra, saw its temperature dip by 5 degrees from minus 0.4 degrees Celsius to settle at minus 5.6 degrees Celsius. Srinagar recorded a low of 3.0 degrees Celsius on Tuesday night, which was 3.6 degrees above the seasonal average.

Among other places, Qazigund’s minimum temperature settled at 1.0 degrees, Kokernag recorded a low of minus 0.6 degrees Celsius, and Kupwara’s minimum temperature settled at 1.6 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperature in Srinagar has been rising slowly but steadily since the end of ‘Chillai Kalan’, the harshest winter period in Kashmir that lasts for 40 days. The rise in temperatures marks the transition into the 20-day ‘Chillai Khurd’ (small cold), which began on Saturday, following the end of ‘Chillai Kalan’. This will be succeeded by ‘Chillai Bachha’, the 10-day ‘baby cold’ period.