Winter tightens its icy fist
Srinagar, Jan 9: There was no let-up in the cold wave across Kashmir on Friday as tumbling night temperatures kept the region firmly in Chillai Kalan’s grip, with most areas recording deep sub-zero minimum temperatures and several plains turning colder than the previous night despite marginal relief in some higher reaches.
Srinagar shivered at minus 6 degrees Celsius, nearly a degree colder than the previous night’s minus 5.1 degrees Celsius.
Shopian emerged as the coldest place in Kashmir, with the mercury plunging to minus 7.7 degrees Celsius, marginally lower than the minus 7.8 degrees Celsius recorded there a day earlier, as intense cold tightened its grip across Kashmir.
It was followed by Pahalgam at minus 7.6 degrees Celsius, though that marked a rise from minus 8.6 degrees Celsius the previous day, while Pulwama slipped further to minus 7.5 degrees Celsius from minus 6.8 degrees Celsius.
Srinagar Airport recorded minus 7.4 degrees Celsius, colder than minus 6.8 degrees Celsius a day earlier, reflecting a sharper chill in the plains.
Higher reaches like Gulmarg and Sonamarg, which had been among the coldest locations earlier, recorded relatively higher night temperatures at minus 7.2 degrees Celsius and minus 5.4 degrees Celsius, compared with minus 9.2 degrees Celsius and minus 9.8 degrees Celsius the previous day.
In towns, Anantnag settled at minus 7.1 degrees Celsius, down from minus 6.3 degrees Celsius, and Sopore at minus 6.8 degrees Celsius while Qazigund, Budgam, and Pampore also saw a dip in minimum temperatures.
Kokernag and Kulgam, at minus 3.2 degrees Celsius and minus 3.5 degrees Celsius, remained the comparatively less cold spots despite a slight fall from a day earlier.
There is unlikely to be any immediate relief from winter conditions in Jammu and Kashmir, with the weathermen forecasting partly to generally cloudy skies through much of January and warning of a further drop in night temperatures in the coming days.
According to the forecast, the weather is expected to remain partly cloudy between January 9 and 15, before turning generally cloudy on January 16 and 17, with light rain or snowfall at isolated higher reaches of the Kashmir division.
Similar conditions are likely to return on January 20 and again between January 22 and 23, when light snow is expected over isolated high-altitude areas, while intervening days are likely to see partly to generally cloudy skies.
The advisory said minimum temperatures are expected to fall significantly until January 10, after which they may rise marginally by 1 to 2 degrees Celsius.
It also warned that moderate fog over the plains of Jammu division, with dense fog at isolated locations, is likely to persist over the next five days, potentially affecting visibility and transport.
