Srinagar: Ruling out the chances of major snowfall in Chilai-Kalan; most of the parts of Kashmir Valley and the regions of Chenab, and Pir Panjal received light snowfall on Saturday, officials said.
Kashmir capital, Srinagar received 2cm of snowfall; south Kashmir's Qazigund had 13 cm, Pahalgam 32.9 cm, Kokernag 18.5cm, and north Kashmir's Gulmarg had 8.2cm of snowfall in the last 24 hours.
Pir Panjal's Banihal logged 6.5 cm, and Chenab's Bhaderwah 3.0 cm.
Parts of Jammu had rainfall; the city got 4.2mm, Batote 17.4mm, Katra 8.2mm, and Kathua 4.6mm.
Regarding temperature, a metrological official said, Srinagar recorded a low of minus 0.2°C against last night's minus 0.1°C. Today’s minimum temperature, he said, was 2.5°C above normal for the summer capital, he said.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of minus 0.4°C against minus 0.6°C on the previous night and it was 3.5°C above normal for the gateway town of Kashmir.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 3.8°C against minus 2.9°C on the previous night and it was 3.7°C above normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 3.9°C against minus 1.4°C on the previous night and it was 0.3°C below normal for the place, the officials said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 8.4°C against minus 7.6°C on the previous night and it was 0.2°C below normal for the world-famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.
In Kupwara, he said, the mercury settled at minus 2.8°C against minus 1.5°C on the previous night and it was 0.1°C above normal in the north Kashmir area.
Jammu recorded a low of 6.1°C against 8.7°C on the previous night. It was 0.9°C below normal; Batote minus 0.5°C (below normal by 1.9°C), Katra 5.7°C (0.3°C below normal)
Banihal recorded a low of minus 0.2°C (above normal by 0.5°C), and Bhadarwah minus 0.2°C (1.5°C above normal).
Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 12.2°C and minus 13.8°C respectively, the official said.
The MeT department here has predicted wet weather to continue and said that widespread moderate to heavy snow over middle and higher reaches was expected from January 23-25.
In the next 24 hours, he said, generally cloudy weather was expected with chances of fairly widespread light snowfall and rainfall over J&K.
“From January 23-25, there is the possibility of widespread moderate snow (rain in Jammu) in plains and heavy snow over middle and higher reaches (60% chance),” he said, adding, “on January 26, there are chances of rain in Jammu region and Cloudy in Kashmir( 60% chance).”
It is Chillai-Kalan in Kashmir; the 40-day-long harsh winter period that starts on December 21 followed by a 20-day-long period called ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (mild cold that occurs between January 30 and February 19 and a 10-day-long period ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold) which is from February 20 to March 1.
(GNS)