Authorities said the minimum temperature in most parts of Kashmir dropped on Friday, even as the MeT office forecast spells of wet weather over the weekend.
The MeT office has forecast a spell of scattered to fairly widespread light rain or snowfall in the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh from Friday.
The official said the wet weather could likely cause landslide on the Banihal-Ramban axis of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway –leading to temporary disruption of surface transportation.
Officials said the highway remained closed for third consecutive day on Friday.
The minimum temperature decreased at most places in the valley as well as in Ladakh Union Territory on Friday, an official of the Meteorological department here said.
He said Srinagar city recorded the low of minus 3.7 degrees Celsius last night – nearly a degree down from minus 2.8 degrees Celsius the previous night.
The official said the ski-resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir recorded the low of minus 8.5 degrees Celsius last night as against the previous night's minus 8.6 degrees Celsius.
The night temperature at Pahalgam resort settled at a low of minus 10 degrees Celsius – over three degrees down from minus 6.4 degrees Celsius yesterday, he said.
Pahalgam, in south Kashmir's Anantnag district, was the coldest recorded place in the valley, he added.
The official said Qazigund – the gateway town to the valley - in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 7 degrees Celsius – down from the previous night's minus 4.3 degrees Celsius.
Kokernag town, also in south, recorded a low of minus 4.8 degrees Celsius, while Kupwara, in north, registered the minimum of minus 2.3 degrees Celsius, the official said.
The mercury in Leh, in the Ladakh Union territory, settled at a low of minus 20.7 degrees Celsius, while the nearby Drass recorded a low of minus 26.3 degrees Celsius, the official said.
Kashmir is currently under the grip of 'Chillai-Kalan' - the 40-day harshest period of winter when the chances of snowfall are most frequent and maximum and the temperature drops considerably.
'Chillai-Kalan' began on December 21 and ends on January 31, but the cold wave continues even after that in Kashmir. The 40-day period is followed by a 20-day long 'Chillai-Khurd' (small cold) and a 10-day long 'Chillai-Bachha' (baby cold).