Kashmir reels under intense cold

Srinagar, Dec 26 (PTI) The minimum temperature in Kashmir rose by a couple of degrees but stayed below the freezing point offering little respite from cold conditions, officials said on Monday.

The valley is going through a dry spell with no major precipitation forecast till the end of December. However, there is a possibility of a brief wet spell this week, the MET department said.

The minimum temperature on Sunday night rose two to three degrees from the previous night but stayed below the freezing point.

The intense cold conditions led to freezing of water supply lines in many areas as well as the freezing of the interiors of the Dal Lake, they said.

The minimum temperature in Srinagar settled at minus 3.5 degrees Celsius — up from minus 5.8 degrees Celsius on Saturday night, the officials said.

They said Pahalgam, which serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a low of minus 5.7 degrees Celsius, up from minus 7 degrees Celsius.

The famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district recorded a low of minus 5.0 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperature in frontier Kupwara district settled at the season’s lowest of minus 3.5 degrees Celsius, while Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley, also recorded the season’s lowest of minus of 4.2 degrees Celsius, the officials said.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 2.5 degrees Celsius.

The MeT Office has forecast mostly dry weather in Jammu and Kashmir till Monday, after which it is likely to remain generally cloudy till December 30 in the UT with a possibility of light to moderate snowfall over the higher reaches.

Kashmir is currently under the grip of ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’ — the 40-day harshest winter period when a cold wave grips the region and the temperature drops considerably leading to the freezing of water bodies 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. Most areas, especially in the higher reaches, receive heavy snowfall.

‘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’ (small cold) and a 10-day-long ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold) following it.