Gulmarg reels under extreme cold as snowfall continues in south Kashmir

Srinagar, Jan 26 (PTI) Snowfall continued in several parts of Kashmir while a cloud cover over the Valley led to an increase in minimum temperatures, Met officials here said on Thursday.

The resort town of Gulmarg, however, continued to reel under sub-zero temperatures.

Light to moderate snowfall was recorded at several places of Kashmir — especially in the southern districts.

The intensity of precipitation is likely to increase towards the end of the day while dry weather is expected on Friday, the weather office has predicted.

The snowfall and cloud cover pushed minimum temperatures up at most places in the Valley.

In Srinagar, the mercury settled at a low of 1.2 degrees Celsius — up from 0.0 degrees. Qazigund, the gateway to the Kashmir Valley, registered a low of minus 0.4 degrees Celsius, the officials said.

Kokernag in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 0.6 degrees Celsius, while the minimum temperature in Kupwara settled at minus 1.7 degrees.

In Gulmarg, however, the minimum temperature nosedived to minus 10.4 degrees Celsius from minus 4.6 degrees the previous night. The mercury has not risen above sub-zero temperatures in the north Kashmir resort town for more than 36 hours. On Wednesday, it recorded a minimum temperature of minus 2.8 degrees Celsius.

Pahalgam, which serves as a base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a minimum temperature of minus 2.4 degrees Celsius.

Kashmir is currently in the grip of ‘Chillai Kalan’, the 40-day harshest weather period when 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 the 20-day ‘Chillai Khurd’ and the 10-day-long ‘Chillai Bachha’ following it.