Chillai-Kalan in Kashmir begins on harsh note*
The 40-day long severe part of winter, Chillai-Kalan, today began on a harsh note with minimum temperature plummeting to the season’s lowest in Srinagar at minus 4.2°C.
A Meteorological Department official said that the minimum temperature in Srinagar was 1.1°C below the previous night’s minus 3.1°C.
The mercury was 2.7°C below normal during this time of the year and surpassed this season’s previous lowest of minus 3.6°C that was recorded in Srinagar on Friday last.
Qazigund recorded a low of minus 4.2°C against minus 3.6°C on the previous night. The temperature was 2.6°C below normal for the town.
Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 6.2°C against minus 5.4°C on the previous night. Besides being below normal by 1.8°C, it was also the coldest night this season at Pahalgam.
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Kokernag recorded a low of minus 2.4°C against minus 1.8°C on the previous night and it was 0.7°C below normal for the place.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 4.6°C against minus 4.0°C on the previous night. It was 0.2°C above normal for the skiing resort.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 4.4°C against minus 3.9°C on the previous night. While being 2.0°C below normal, it was also the coldest temperature recorded so far of the place.
Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 11.8°C and 12.1°C respectively. Chillai-Kalan begins on 21st of December and ends on 30th of January. It is the severe part of the winter during which minimum temperatures mostly settle below freezing point.
