The minimum temperatures recorded a drop after snowfall with Gulmarg recording season’s coldest night at minus 11.0°C on Saturday.
A meteorological department official here told that in last 24 hours till 0830 hours today Srinagar received 9cm (3.6 inches) of snowfall, Pahalgam 47 cm (18.8 inches), Qazigund 50.9cm(20.36 inches), Kupwara 10.4 cm (4.16 inches) and Gulmarg one foot (12 inches).
Meanwhile, he said, Srinagar recorded a low of minus 0.1°C against last night’s 1.0°C. Today’s minimum temperature was 2.0°C above normal for the summer capital, he said.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of minus 0.4°C against minus 0.4°C on the previous night and it was 2.7°C above normal for the gateway town.
Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 5.9°C against minus 2.4°C on the previous night and it was 1.2°C above normal for the place, he said. The coldest night recorded this season in the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district was on January 2 when mercury plunged to minus 9.6°C.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 1.2°C against minus 0.2°C on the previous night, he said. It was 2.4°C above normal for the place.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 11.0°C against minus 0.6°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 3.1°C below normal and coldest night temperature this season as it surpassed previous low of minus 10.0°C which was recorded on January 2 in the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the official said.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 3.6°C against minus 0.7°C on the previous night and it was o.7°C below normal in the north Kashmir area, he said.
Jammu, which received 5.6mm of rainfall in the 24 hours, recorded a low of 6.6°C against 7.5°C on the previous night. It was 0.4°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal received 46.7mm of rain and recorded a low of minus 0.2°C (below normal by 0.1°C), Batote had 52.2mm of rain and recorded a low of minus 1.3°C (below normal by 2.9°C), Katra received 16.0mm of rain and recorded a low of 5.8°C (0.1°C below normal) and Bhadarwah received 26.8mm of rain and recorded minimum of minus 0.6°C (0.5°C below normal).
In Ladakh, Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 12.0°C and minus 8.4°C respectively, the official said.
He said from January 15-18, weather is likely to be partly cloudy and there is possibility of fog in plains of Jammu & Kashmir during morning hours. Besides, he said, temperature during the day would rise in and drop during night.
He said another Western Disturbance was likely to affect J&K from January 19th onwards and chances of precipitation are 60%.
Kashmir is under the grip of Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day long harsh winter period that started on December 21. It does not mean an end to the winter either. It is followed by a 20-day-long period called ‘Chillai-Khurd’ that occurs between January 30 and February 19 and a 10-day-long period ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold) which is from February 20 to March 1.
