Srinagar, Dec 30: Mercury dipped across Kashmir Valley last night with Gulmarg, the world famous skiing resort, recording a low of minus 11.0 degree Celsius, weatherman said on Wednesday.
A MeT official told GNS minimum temperature in Srinagar settled at minus 2.1°C against 0.0°C on previous night. Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 11.0°C against minus 7.5°C on the previous night. Pahalgam, the famous tourist destination in south Kashmir, recorded a minimum of minus 9.0°C against minus 3.0°C on previous night. Qazigund recorded minus 2.5°C against minus 0.4°C on previous night, Kupwara recorded minus 2.8°C while Kokernag was third coldest place in Valley as mercury settled at minus 6.5 °C last night, the official said.
Kashmir is in the middle Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day winter period which commenced on December 21 and ends on January 31. The period is considered the harshest of the winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum.
The cold wave, however, continues even after that in Kashmir with a 20-day-long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold).
The weatherman has forecast mainly dry weather over Jammu and Kashmir for next week or so, saying there would be no significant change before January 5 when there is possibility of wide spread snow and rain across the Valley.
