Indian tourists and locals ski on a slope in Gulmarg, northwest of Srinagar
Kashmir continues to reel under intense cold wave since heavy snowfall earlier this month. The intense cold has resulted in the freezing of water supply lines and water bodies in several areas, including the Dal Lake in the Union Territory. The night temperature continues to settle several degrees below the freezing point, but there was some improvement across the valley, barring the ski-resort of Gulmarg, Sunday night, a MET official said. The minimum temperature at the resort, in north Kashmir's Baramulla district, settled at minus 6.0 degrees Celsius last night, down from minus 4.2 degrees Celsius the night earlier.
Srinagar city, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 6.4 degrees Celsius, up from minus 7.6 degrees Celsius the previous night, the official said.
The minimum temperature in the city on Sunday night was still over four degrees below the normal for this time of the year, he said.
Pahalgam tourist resort, which also serves as a base camp for the annual Amarnath yatra in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 6.8 degrees Celsius, up from the previous night's minus 8.7 degrees Celsius.
Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley, recorded a minimum of 8.3 degrees Celsius and was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir, the official said.
Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag in south minus 6.9 degrees Celsius.
Several water bodies, including the surface of the famous Dal Lake here, have frozen due to the bone-chilling cold, prompting authorities to issue an advisory against walking on the ice.
The plunge in the minimum temperature has caused problems for the residents as it has also resulted in the freezing of water supply pipes.
A thick layer of ice has frozen over several roads in the city and elsewhere in the valley, making it difficult for motorists to drive.
Indian tourists walk on a snow-covered road in Gulmarg, northwest of Srinagar
Tourists wait for their turn to use ski-lift used to transport them up a slope top in Gulmarg, northwest of Srinagar
Kashmiris pull Indian tourists on sledges at Gulmarg, northwest of Srinagar
Sukjeet Kaur, 13, a Kashmir school girl skis down a slope as her instructor and friends watch in Gulmarg, northwest of Srinagar
Tourists from Holland ski down a slope as fog engulfs the background in Gulmarg, northwest of Srinagar
An Indian tourist enjoys a morning walk on a snow-covered road on a cold and foggy morning in Gulmarg
A stray dog walks on a snow-covered road as fog engulfs the background on a cold and foggy morning in Gulmarg
Trees are covered with hoar-frost on a cold day in Gulmarg, northwest of Srinagar
Tourists ski down a slop in Afarwat, Gulmarg, northwest of Srinagar
Ramasha Rizwan, an Indian tourist is helped by a Kashmiri ski instructor to ski down a slope in Afarwat, Gulmarg, northwest of Srinagar
Meenu Nanda, 38, an Indian tourist poses along with her husband as an unidentified family member takes a picture in Afarwat, Gulmarg
A Kashmiri sledge puller walks on a snow-covered slope at Gulmarg, northwest of Srinagar
A Kashmiri tour operator carries luggage of a tourist as he walks toward a hotel at Gulmarg
Skiers' tracks crisscross the slopes in Afarwat, Gulmarg, northwest of Srinagar
Abandoned huts belonging to nomads are covered by snow in Gulmarg, northwest of Srinagar
