Srinagar: Top tourist destinations of North and south Kashmir’s Gulmarg and Pahalgam received Chillai Kalan’s (harshest winter period) first major snowfall including other higher reaches while light rains lashed plains including Srinagar city.
The fresh snowfall ended the dry winter spell and increased the night temperatures at various places; Srinagar recorded a low of 0.9°C against last night’s minus 0.1°C, (2.8°C above normal), and the city also received 0.5mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours till 0830 hours today, a concerned official in the meteorological department said.
In south Kashmir’s Pahalgam, 0.2cm of snowfall was received and the place recorded a low of minus 0.7°C against minus 1.4°C on the previous night (6.3°C above normal). The coldest night of Pahalgam was recorded on January 2 when the mercury plunged to minus 9.6°C.
In north Kashmir’s Gulmarg, around 9 cm of snowfall was measured and a low of minus 2.5°C against minus 3.4°C (5.3°C above normal) was recorded on the previous night. Its coldest night was reported on January 2 when the minimum temperature plummeted to minus 10.0°C.
Meanwhile, the gateway town of the valley, Qazigund logged a low of 0.2°C against minus 1.3°C (1.8°C above normal) with 0.8mm of rainfall; Kokernag got 0.7 mm of rainfall and recorded a low of minus 0.5°C against minus 1.6°C on the previous night (3.5°C above normal) for the place.
Also, the mercury settled at 0.7°C against 0.4°C (3.4°C above normal) on the previous night in Kupwara and received 13.4mm of rainfall during the 24 hours, 3.4°C above normal.
Jammu logged 5.2°C against 5.0°C on the previous night (2.2°C below normal). Batote received 0.4mm of rainfall and recorded a low of 5.2°C (above normal by 5.2°C), and Katra recorded 10.5°C (4.5°C above normal).
Pir Panjal’s Banihal had 0.9mm of rainfall and recorded a low of 5.2°C (above normal by 5.2°C), while Chenab’s Bhadarwah received 0.6mm of rain and recorded a low of 5.2°C (6.2°C above normal).
In the Ladakh region, Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 6.6°C and minus 7.5°C respectively, the official said.
The meteorological department has forecast the possibility of light to moderate snowfall (rain in the plains of Jammu) at many places in J&K during the next 24 hours.
From January 10-11th, the MeT official said, the weather is livelily to be “generally cloudy”.
From January 12-13, he said, there is the possibility of widespread moderate snowfall (rain in plains of Jammu) with “heavy snowfall” over higher reaches (more than 75% chance)
He said that the weather system is “very likely” to affect air transportation during the 12-13th (60-70% chance).
It is Chillai-Kalan, (40-day long harshest- winter period) in Kashmir which starts on December 21, followed by ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (mild cold) a 20-day-long period that occurs between January 30 and February 19, and ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold) 10-day-long period from February 20 to March 1.
(GNS)