Minimum temperature decreases at most places in Kashmir; wet spells likely ahead this week

Srinagar, Jan 16 (PTI) The night temperature dropped in most places of Kashmir as the weather stayed dry, even as the Meteorological Department has forecast spells of wet weather from the mid-week due to western disturbances hitting the region, officials said on Monday.

The minimum temperature at most places in the valley decreased on Sunday night owing to dry weather, the officials said.

Srinagar recorded a low of minus 1.9 degrees Celsius on Sunday night — down from minus 0.6 degrees Celsius the night before, they said.

Qazigund, the gateway to the Valley, registered a drop of almost five degrees in the minimum temperature which settled at minus 5.6 degrees Celsius.

Kokernag in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 6.6 degrees Celsius, compared to minus 1.4 degrees Celsius on the previous night.

The minimum in Kupwara, a frontier district, settled at minus 2.9 degrees Celsius, the officials said.

Pahalgam in Anantnag district, which also serves as a base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra, registered a low of minus 10.2 degrees Celsius.

The minimum temperature at the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in Baramulla district went down from the previous night’s minus 10.4 degrees Celsius to settle at minus 12 degrees Celsius.

The resort was the coldest recorded place in Jammu and Kashmir.

The meteorological office said the weather will remain mainly dry across J-K till January 18. There will be a further decrease in the night temperature till that time.

It said, a few western disturbances are likely to affect J-K from January 19 to 25.

The weather will remain cloudy from January 19-21 with chances of light rain/snow over isolated to scattered places mainly over higher reaches.

However, it said a much higher intensity precipitation will occur from the night of January 22 to the forenoon of January 24 and there is a possibility of light to moderate snow in plains of Kashmir (with rains in Jammu) and moderate snow over middle and higher reaches.

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