Temperatures below freezing point in Valley, more snowfall likely this week

The cold wave conditions intensified across Kashmir on Tuesday, with the weather department predicting fresh spells of light to moderate snowfall in the Valley over the next week.

Gulmarg, a tourist resort town known for skiing activities in north Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 11.5° Celsius which was down one and half degrees from the previous night, the Met department said.

The base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra in Pahalgam, south Kashmir, registered a minimum of minus 8.4° Celsius, slightly up from minus 9.2° C, it said.

In Srinagar, the mercury dipped to minus 3.5° Celsius on Monday night, more than two degrees less than the previous night, it added.

Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir, logged a minimum temperature of minus 7.5° Celsius, while Konibal in Pampore town also recorded a low of minus 7.5° Celsius, the weather office said.

Kupwara in north Kashmir registered 0.1° Celsius while in south Kashmir, Kokernag recorded minus 5.6° Celsius, it said. Kupwara was the only place in the Valley where the minimum temperature settled above freezing point last night.

The Met office has forecast light snowfall on the first day of the New Year and another spell of moderate snowfall later in the week.

“A feeble western disturbance is likely to hit Kashmir on January 1 and 2. There is a possibility of light snow at scattered places. A moderate to strong Western Disturbance is likely to affect from January 3 to 6. There is a chance of snow at most places with peak activity on 4th to 6th January,” it said, adding there is a possibility of heavy snow at few places in the higher reaches during the second spell.

Kashmir is currently under the grip of ‘Chillai-Kalan’ — the harshest period of winter — which began on December 21. During the 40 days of Chillai-Kalan, the chances of snowfall are the highest and the temperature drops considerably.