More rains, snow predicted this week: MeT

Srinagar: Kashmir received light snow in upper reaches while rains lashed plains in the intervening night on Sunday.
On Saturday night, many parts of the Valley witnessed snow while Srinagar received rains bringing the region under acute cold.
In north Kashmir, higher reaches including Gulmarg, Gurez, Kupwara and central Kashmir’s Sonamarg and south Kashmir’s upper reaches including Pahalgam received a bout of snow. Early in the morning, authorities pressed men and machinery into service in the above areas to clear roads of snow.
The weather department, meanwhile, continued with its prediction saying that light to moderate snow and rains are expected from January 4. It said that intensity of snow and rains will increase from the night of January 4 and cause moderate ???? ?????????? snow in Kashmir as well as Jammu.
“Heavy Snow is expected at some places during January 5 and 6,” it said.
According to the MeT, the bad weather may disrupt road connectivity and aerial transport.
Furthermore, it has been predicted that temperature will drop in the day while nights will become warmer.
On Saturday night, Srinagar recorded the minimum temperature of 0.3 degrees Celsius, up from the Friday night’s minus 2.4 degrees Celsius, the officials said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius while Pahalgam sawa low of minus 1.7 degrees Celsius. Qazigund recorded the minimum temperature of minus 1.0 degrees Celsius, while the nearby south Kashmir town of Kokernag recorded a low of minus 1.9 degrees Celsius.
The mercury in Kupwara in north Kashmir settled at a low of 1.6 degrees Celsius.
Kashmir valley is currently under the grip of the 40-day harshest winter period known as ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’ which began on December 21.
‘Chilla-i-Kalan’ is a period when a cold wave grips the region and the temperature drops considerably leading to the freezing of water bodies including the famous Dal Lake here as well as the water supply lines in several parts of the valley.
The chances of snowfall are the most frequent and maximum during this period and most areas, especially in the higher reaches, receive heavy to very heavy snowfall.
The ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’ will end on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that in Kashmir with a 20-day-long ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold).

Reader correspondent