Freezing cold in Kashmir; rain or snow predicted

The night temperature across Kashmir division stayed below the freezing point as the cold conditions continued, even as the state is bracing up for a possible wet spell, which may bring in heavy snowfall from Sunday night.

“A fresh western disturbance is affecting J-K and adjoining areas and is most likely to affect the state from tonight till Tuesday,” an official of the MeT department said.

“Under the influence of this system, moderate to heavy rain or snow is expected at widespread places of Kashmir and Jammu and moderate snowfall in Ladakh, mainly Kargil district,” he said.

The official said higher reaches of Kashmir and Jammu are most likely to receive moderate to heavy rain or snow, which may lead disruption of surface transportation, mainly the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.

Meanwhile, the minimum temperature at most places in the valley went down on Saturday night.

Srinagar recorded a low of minus 1.8 degrees Celsius last night, the official said.

Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley, registered a low of minus 2.8 degrees Celsius on Saturday night, a degree down from the Friday night.

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The official said the night temperature in Kokernag settled at a low of minus 1.5 degrees Celsius, while Kupwara town in north recorded the minimum temperature of minus 0.5 degrees Celsius.

Pahalgam, the south Kashmir health resort which also serves as one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, recorded a low of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius last night, while the mercury at the famous ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir settled at a low of minus 5.0 degrees Celsius.

Kupwara and Gulmarg were the only places in the valley where the night temperature rose last night.

Kargil continued to be the coldest recorded place in the state as the mercury there settled at a low of minus 15.2 degrees Celsius, the official said.

He said the night temperature in the nearby Leh town settled at a low of minus 10.2 degrees Celsius last night.