Biting cold tightens grip on Kashmir
Srinagar, Dec 9: A biting wave of cold tightened its grip over Kashmir on Monday night as temperatures dipped well below the freezing point across the Valley, with several places recording their coldest night of the season so far, officials said.
Srinagar shivered at minus 3.7 degrees Celsius, slipping further from the previous night’s minus 2.4 degrees Celsius.
The drop pushed the city 3.1 degrees Celsius below the normal for this time of the year, as the chill deepened across the plains and higher reaches alike.
Pulwama in south Kashmir emerged as the coldest spot in Jammu and Kashmir, plunging to a frigid minus 5.1 degrees Celsius.
Close behind was Pahalgam, the picturesque tourist resort, which recorded a low of minus 4.8 degrees Celsius.
Both Qazigund, the gateway to the Valley, and Kupwara in north Kashmir registered a minimum temperature of minus 3.6 degrees Celsius, reflecting the widespread intensity of the cold spell.
The tourist resort of Gulmarg logged minus 2.5 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag recorded the night’s relatively milder but still freezing minus 0.5 degrees Celsius.
According to the Meteorological Department (MeT), the Valley is likely to experience dry weather until December 12, offering no immediate respite from the plunging night temperatures.
Light rain or snowfall may occur at isolated higher reaches between December 13 and the days that follow.
As Kashmir braces for the deepening cold, residents are already preparing for Chilai Kalan, the harsh 40-day winter stretch that begins on December 21, a period traditionally marked by the severest freeze of the season.
Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh continued to reel under a severe cold wave. The Meteorological (MeT) Centre Srinagar has forecast cloudy weather over the next few days and indicated the possibility of light snowfall in parts of Kashmir from December 13 to 15.
According to the MeT, from December 10 to 12, no major weather activity is expected, and the sky would remain partly cloudy.
However, a MeT spokesperson said that weather activity was likely to change thereafter, with light snowfall predicted over the higher reaches of north Kashmir and central Kashmir from December 13 to 15.
The weather is expected to turn partly cloudy again on December 16 and remain so till December 18.
Further, from December 19 to 21, J&K is likely to experience mixed weather conditions, with cloudy skies and the possibility of light snowfall over a few higher reaches.
Even before the anticipated snowfall, a biting cold wave gripped most parts of the region.
On Monday, Zojila Pass on the Srinagar-Leh National Highway received light snowfall, with a thin layer of fresh snow settling around the 11,575-feet-high pass. The upper reaches of the Sonamarg health resort in Ganderbal district also witnessed light snowfall on Monday, resulting in a noticeable dip in temperatures.
The fresh spell added to the season’s harsh conditions in higher reaches, particularly along the Zojila axis, which serves as the only surface link between Kashmir and Ladakh during the winter months.
