Light Rains, Snowfall In Kashmir, Night Temp Rises Across J&K, Ladakh

Srinagar, Jan 18: Kashmir Valley including Srinagar received light rains while some plains and higher reaches had light to moderate snowfall since overnight, officials said on Tuesday.

Amid cloud cover, the night mercury increased across J&K and Ladakh with only three weather stations set up by the meteorological department here recording below sub-zero temperature.

A meteorological department official told GNS that Srinagar received 0.2mm of rain in last 24 hours till 0830 hours while the summer capital of the J&K recorded a low of 1.1°C against last night’s 1.0°C.

Kashmir is presently under the grip of 40-day long harshest period of winter, known locally as ‘Chillai Kalan, which started from December 21. It is followed by a 20-day long ‘Chillai Khurd’ and a 10-day-long ‘Chilla Bachha’.

Gulmarg had about 4 cms of fresh snowfall during the time and recorded a low of minus 6.0°C against minus 4.6°C on previous night, he said. The temperature was 1.7°C above normal for this time of the year in the famous resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.

Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, had 1.9 cms of fresh snowfall and recorded a low of minus 0.7°C against minus 3.6°C last night, he said.

Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, received 0.6mm of rainfall and recorded a low of 0.2°C against minus 1.0°C on the previous night, he said.

Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, received 0.6mm of rainfall and recorded a low of minus 0.2°C against minus 2.0°C on the previous night, the official said.

Kupwara town in north Kashmir received 5.4cms of fresh snowfall while as it recorded a minimum of 0.2°C against 0.5°C on the previous night, the official said.

Jammu recorded a low of 9.3°C against previous night’s 9.0°C which is 2.2°C above normal for the J&K’s winter capital during this time of the year, he said.

Banihal recorded a low of 0.4°C, Katra 6.2°C and Bhaderwah saw a minimum of 0.9°C, the official said.

Ladakh’s Leh recorded a low of minus 11.0°C against last night’s minus 13.1°C while mercury at automatic station in Kargil settled at minus 12.3°C. Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 16.1°C against last night’s minus 16.2°C, official said.

For next 24 hours, the weatherman has forecast isolated very light rain or snow over Jammu and Kashmir with “mist/fog over the plains of Jammu division.”

The weatherman has said that there was no forecast of any major rain or snow till the end of January in J&K.

“There will fairly widespread light to moderate rain/snow on January 19th,” the official added. (GNS)