Cold wave conditions intensified in Gulmarg and Pahalgam in Kashmir where mercury plunged several degrees below the freezing point, even as the rest of the Valley experienced extended relief from the harsh winter, officials said on Monday.Gulmarg, a tourist resort town known for skiing activities in north Kashmir, recorded a night temperature of minus 10 degree Celsius, down 2 degrees compared to the previous night, the meteorological department said. Pahalgam in south Kashmir, which serves as the base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a low of minus 9.2 degree Celsius, down from minus 8.5 degrees Celsius the previous night, the weather office said.

In Srinagar, night temperature dipped to minus 0.9 degrees Celsius, little more than a degree above the normal temperature for this time of the year, it said.Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir, logged a minimum temperature of minus 2.8 degree Celsius, while Konibal in Parampore recorded a low of minus 1.4 degree Celsius, the weather office said.Kupwara in north Kashmir registered a low of 0.1 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag in south Kashmir recorded a minimum temperature of minus 1.0 degrees Celsius, it said.Kupwara was the only place in the Valley where the minimum temperature settled above freezing point.

Kashmir is currently under the grip of ‘Chillai-Kalan’ — the harshest period of winter — which began on December 21.Chances of snowfall are the highest during the 40 days of Chillai-Kalan, leading to considerable drop in temperature.While the period ends on January 30, cold wave conditions continue even after that. These 40 days are followed by a 20-day ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold).