MeT Forecasts More Snowfall In Plains From Jan 22-24
Srinagar: Night temperature in most places of Kashmir settled below the freezing point across the Valley, even as the weather office has forecast a further dip in the minimum temperature over the next few days and wet spell from Thursday, officials said on Sunday.
A meteorological department official here said till January 18, weather is likely to be mainly dry and partly cloudy.
“From January 19th-21st, weather is likely to be cloudy with chances of light rain/snow over isolated to scattered places mainly over higher reaches,” he said, adding, “From 22nd to 24th, there is possibility of light to moderate rain and snow over plains and moderate snow over middle and higher reaches most likely during 23rd/24th January at most places of J&K.”
In the wake of dry weather after Friday’s snowfall, the minimum temperature at most places in the valley decreased on Saturday night, the officials said.
Srinagar recorded a low of minus 0.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday night – half a degree down from the night before, they said.
Qazigund, the gateway to the Valley, registered a minimum temperature of minus 0.7 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 1.4 degrees Celsius.The minimum in Kupwara, a frontier district, settled at minus 1.3 degrees Celsius, the officials said.
Pahalgam in Anantnag district, which also serves as a base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra, registered a low of minus 10.9 degrees Celsius — down five degrees Celsius from a night earlier.
The resort was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir.
The minimum temperature at the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in Baramulla district went slightly up to settle at minus 10.4 degrees Celsius from the previous night’s minus 11 degrees Celsius.
Kashmir is currently under the grip of ‘Chillai Kalan’, the 40-day harshest weather period when the chances of snowfall are maximum and most frequent. Chillai Kalan begins on December 21 and ends on January 30. The cold wave continues even after that with a 20-day-long ‘Chillai Khurd’ and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai Bachha’ following it.