Srinagar, Jan 20: Despite a nightlong overcast sky, the minimum temperatures again dipped Friday in the state’s summer capital and other parts of the valley with weatherman forecasting fresh snowfall next week.
“The minimum temperature was minus 3.5 degrees Celsius in Srinagar, minus 7.8 in Pahalgam, minus 14.6 in Gulmarg and minus 16.8 in Leh town of Ladakh region,” local meteorological office director Sonam Lotus said.
The south Kashmir gateway town of Qazigund recorded a low of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius, a decrease of 3.8 degrees, while north Kashmir’s frontier town of Kupwara recorded a minimum of minus 6.7 degrees Celsius, down by of 2.9 degrees from yesterday, the official said.
He said light rain or snow was likely to occur in the day.
“We are expecting moderate snowfall around Jan 23 and 26 in the valley,” the official said.
The surface of the Dal Lake in most parts continued to remain frozen and fresh icicles have been formed because of the thaw Thursday. Officials today used motorboats to break the frozen sheets to enable movement of Dal dwellers.
The snowfall earlier this week came as a big relief for the people, bringing an end to the intense cold wave during which the mercury had plunged to minus 7.8 degrees Celsius in Srinagar city and plunged 19 degrees below freezing point in Gulmarg.

Lastupdate on : Fri, 20 Jan 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 20 Jan 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 21 Jan 2012 00:00:00 IST