Fresh snowfall in higher reaches of Kashmir

Srinagar, Dec 24: The higher reaches of Kashmir received fresh snowfall on Tuesday as the cold wave conditions persisted across the valley and the minimum temperature plummeted several degrees below the freezing point, officials said.

They said light snowfall was recorded last night in the tourist resort of Sonamarg and a few other areas in the higher reaches of the valley.

The fall in mercury led to the freezing of water supply lines even as a thin layer of ice covered the surface of several water bodies.

Kashmir is experiencing intense cold conditions, with the maximum temperature in Srinagar on Monday settling over six degrees below normal for this time of the season.

The city recorded a maximum temperature of 2.8 degrees Celsius on Monday as the day temperature remained below the normal across the valley.

The bone-chilling cold continued throughout Monday night as well the minimum temperatures also settled below normal.

Srinagar recorded a low of minus 6.6 degrees Celsius on Monday night -- down three degrees from the previous night, the meteorological department said.

Pahalgam, the base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra in south Kashmir, registered a minimum temperature of minus 7.8 degrees Celsius, down from the previous night's minus 5 degrees Celsius, it said.

The night temperature in Gulmarg, a tourist resort town known for skiing activities in north Kashmir, settled at a low of minus 7.4 degrees Celsius -- almost three degrees down from minus 4.8 degrees Celsius the previous night, the department added.

Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir, logged a minimum temperature of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius, while Konibal, a hamlet in the Pampore area, was the coldest recorded place in the valley at minus 8.5 degrees Celsius, it said.

Kupwara, in north Kashmir, and Kokernag, in south Kashmir, registered a low of minus 6.4 degrees Celsius.

The meteorological department has predicted a dip of two to three degrees in the minimum temperatures over the next few days till December 26.

There is a possibility of light snowfall over the higher reaches towards the later afternoon of December 27 till the forenoon the next day, the Met Office said.

While the weather would stay mainly dry on December 29 and 30, light snowfall is possible in the isolated higher reaches on New Year's Eve, and light snowfall could take place at isolated to scattered places in Kashmir from January 1-3.

Kashmir is currently under the grip of 'Chillai-Kalan' - considered the harshest period of winter - which started on December 21.

During the 40 days of Chillai-Kalan, the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum and the temperature drops considerably.

It ends on January 30 next year, but the cold wave continues even after that in the valley. The 40 days are followed by a 20-day 'Chillai-Khurd' (small cold) and a 10-day 'Chillai-Bachha' (baby cold).