Srinagar: Srinagar shivered at minus 3.5 degrees Celsius and Pahalgam was coldest at minus 5.7 degrees Celsius while the Meteorological Department (MeT) predicted light snowfall at isolated places over the higher reaches on Thursday.
“From December 26 to 30, generally cloudy weather is expected with intermittent light snow at isolated to scattered places in the higher reaches of north, northwestern, and central Kashmir during December 29 night and December 30,” the MeT officials said. “Slight improvement in minimum temperature and respite from cold and dry weather is expected from December 26 to 31.”
They said Srinagar recorded a low of minus 3.5 degrees Celsius against the previous night’s minus 5.8 degrees Celsius that was the coldest recorded minimum temperature so far during this season.
“Today’s temperature was 1.5 degrees Celsius below normal for the summer capital,” the MeT officials said.
They said Qazigund recorded a low of minus 4.2 degrees Celsius against minus 5 degrees Celsius the previous night, 2.2 degrees Celsius below normal as well as the season’s coldest for the gateway town of Kashmir.
The MeT officials said Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 5.7 degrees Celsius against minus 7 degrees Celsius the previous night, which was the coldest night this season in the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district and today’s minimum temperature was below normal by 0.7 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, snowfall started in Pahalgam late Monday evening.
The MeT officials said Kokernag recorded a low of minus 2.5 degrees Celsius against minus 2.2 degrees Celsius the previous night, 0.4 degrees Celsius below normal.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 5.6 degrees Celsius against minus 6.4 degrees Celsius the previous night, the officials said.
They said it was 0.2 degrees Celsius above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
The MeT officials said that in Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 3.5 degrees Celsius against minus 6 degrees Celsius the previous night, which was the coldest temperature recorded so far this winter in the north Kashmir area.
They said that the minimum temperature was 0.9 degrees Celsius below normal.
The MeT officials said that Jammu recorded a low of 4.5 degrees Celsius against 4.1 degrees Celsius the previous night, 3.7 degrees Celsius below normal for the winter capital.
They said that Banihal recorded a low of minus 1 degree Celsius, below normal by 1.9 degrees Celsius, Batote 0.7 degrees Celsius, 2 degrees Celsius below normal, Katra 7.2 degrees Celsius, 0.3 degrees Celsius above normal, and Bhaderwah 0.4 degrees Celsius, 0.9 degrees Celsius above normal.
The MeT officials said that in the cold desert Ladakh, Leh recorded a low of minus 13.4 degrees Celsius and Kargil minus 10.2 and Kargil, the MeT officials said.