Mercury Rises As J&K Braces Up For Light Rains, Snowfall

Srinagar: As J&K braces up for light rains and snowfall till January 19, night mercury recorded an increase even as it stayed below freezing point with Srinagar recording a low of minus 1.2 °C on Sunday.

A meteorological department official told GNS that the minimum temperature in the summer capital of the J&K was up by more than three degrees Celsius than previous night’s minus 4.5°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 recorded a low of minus 7.0°C against minus 9.5°C on previous night, he said. The temperature was 0.7°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, recorded a low of minus 5.4°C against minus 11.4°C last night, he said.

Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 3.4°C against minus 7.6°C on the previous night, he said.

Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 4.5°C against minus 7.2°C on the previous night, the official said.

Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 2.1°C against minus 5.0°C on the previous night, the official said.

Jammu recorded a low of 8.4°C against previous night’s 7.7°C which is 1.3 °C above normal for the J&K’s winter capital during this time of the year, he said.

Banihal recorded a low of 4.0°C, Katra 5.4 °C and Bhaderwah saw a minimum of 0.5°C, the official said.

Ladakh’s Leh recorded a low of minus 15.2°C against last night’s minus 16.8°C while mercury at automatic station in Kargil settled at minus 18.6°C. Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 27.6°C against last night’s minus 17.4°C, official said.

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

“Under the influence of feeble Western Disturbance, weather most likely to remain generally cloudy with possibility of very light to light rain/snow in plains of J&K during 16-19th and light to moderate snowfall over higher reaches,” an official of the MeT department said in a statement to GNS. “As of today, there’s no forecast of any major rain/snow till ending January (accuracy 60-70%).” (GNS)