Srinagar: Gulmarg, the famous ski-resort in north Kashmir, received fresh snowfall today even as minimum temperatures at most places in the Valley and in Ladakh region appreciated by several degrees, providing relief from the intense cold to the residents.
“There was light snowfall of 1.25 inch in Gulmarg during the night,” a MeT Department official said. The official said the night temperatures increased at most places in the Valley with the mercury in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, settling near the freezing point.
Srinagar registered an increase of over four degrees from the previous night's low of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius to settle at minus 0.3 degree Celsius.
Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir Valley in south, recorded a low of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius compared to minus 3.8 degrees Celsius the previous night.
The mercury in Pahalgam resort in south Kashmir, which serves as a base-camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra, registered an increase of over three degrees from minus 6.4 degrees Celsius the previous night to settle at minus 3.0 degrees Celsius, the official said.
The official said the minimum temperature in the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg settled at minus 5.8 degrees Celsius, against the previous night's minus 5.6 degrees Celsius. The night temperatures in Kupwara, in north Kashmir, increased by almost three degrees to settle at a low of minus 1.5 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag, in south, recorded a minimum of minus 3.3 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature in Leh, in the frontier Ladakh region, increased by over two degrees to settle at minus 10.0 degrees Celsius compared to the previous night's low of minus 12.2 degrees Celsius, the official said. She said Kargil, also in Ladakh region, registered a low of minus 14.0 degrees Celsius, a degree up from minus 15.0 degrees Celsius the previous night and was the coldest recorded place in the state.
The MET Office has said the weather would remain mainly dry and cold over the state over the next few days.
Kashmir Valley is currently under the grip of ‘Chillai Kalan' - the 40-day harshest winter period, which begins on December 21.
The chances of snowfall are maximum and most frequent during this period and the weather remains cold during as the day temperature also dips drastically, freezing most of the water bodies including the famous Dal Lake.
Though ‘Chillai-Kalan' would end on January 31, the winter continues after that. This would be followed by a 20-day long ‘Chillai Khurd' (small cold) and a 10-day long ‘Chillai Bachha' (baby cold).
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