Srinagar: Mercury plummeted in Kashmir on Monday ahead of weather department’s forecast for a fresh snow spell in the Valley.
In Srinagar, an acute cold prevailed throughout the day with previous night recording minus 3.4 degrees Celsius.
It led a layer of frost on road causing inconvenience to people especially to motorists in the morning.
The meteorological department, meanwhile, maintained that the Valley will receive a fresh bout of snow from Monday evening.
Deputy Director Meteorological department Mukhtar Ahmad said that light to moderate snowfall will occur across the Valley. He said that plains will receive light snow while higher reaches will experience moderate snowfall.
Ahmad said that snow will continue till today evening.
Meanwhile, traffic police has ordered that no fresh movement of vehicles will be allowed to proceed from Jammu or Srinagar today on Srinagar-Jammu highway.
An official of traffic police said that only vehicles stranded will be allowed to proceed on the highway from Jammu to Srinagar.
Meanwhile, the mercury in Qazigund – the gateway town to the valley in south Kashmir – settled at a low of minus 5 degrees Celsius, same as last night.
Pahalgam tourist resort in south recorded a low of minus 9 degrees Celsius – up from minus 13.7 degrees Celsius previous day, the official said, adding the resort was the coldest recorded place in the Kashmir valley.
The ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir registered a minimum of minus 12.8 degrees Celsius.
The night temperature in Kokernag, in south, settled at a low of minus 5.4 degrees Celsius, while Kupwara, in north, recorded a low of minus 5.8 degrees Celsius, the official added.
The MeT office has forecast scattered to widespread light to moderate rain or snow in the valley over the next two days.
With PTI inputs

ARIF RASHID