Srinagar: Ahead of two day widespread rains and snow forecast from today, Kashmir continued to remain under grip of cold on Saturday.
The meteorological centre Srinagar has issued advisory of light to moderate snow and rains across the Valley. It also predicted light snow at scattered places in Ladakh and rains in Jammu.
The power department held a meeting led by principal secretary a day ago to remain prepared in case of snowfall.
Kashmir is under harshest period of 40-day Chillai kalan when temperatures nosedive below freezing and chances of snow remain high.
Deputy Director MeT Srinagar Mukhtar Ahmad told Kashmir Reader there are chances of moderate snow in higher reaches and light snow in plains from today evening.
However, weather will improve from the forenoon of December 28 and will stay dry till the end of this month.
According to him, mercury will drop at the end of this month as cloud cover will clear.
Meanwhile, barring Qazigund, the minimum temperature dipped across the valley on Friday night, the officials said.
Srinagar recorded a low of 1.7 degrees Celsius on Friday night down from Thursday night’s 2.4 degrees Celsius.
Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley, recorded the minimum temperature of 2.2 degrees Celsius a degree up from Thursday night.
The nearby south Kashmir town of Kokernag recorded a low of minus 1.0 degrees Celsius.
The mercury in Kupwara in north Kashmir settled at a low of minus 0.8 degrees Celsius compared to 2.2 degrees Celsius on Thursday night.
Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 5.1 degrees Celsius down from minus 1.3 degrees Celsius on Thursday night.
The mercury in Gulmarg settled at a low of minus 6.5 degrees Celsius as compared to Thursday night’s minus 5.1 degrees Celsius. The resort was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir.
While many areas in the valley received snowfall on Thursday, the MeT Office has said a spell of greater intensity than that is most likely to occur over two days from Sunday.
While the MeT office ruled out any major snowfall as of now, it said there is a possibility of heavy snowfall up to one feet at isolated places over the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir during this period.
Kashmir valley is currently under the grip of the 40-day harshest winter period known as ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’ which began on Tuesday.

Reader correspondent