After a slight relief , the cold wave tightened its grip again over Kashmir as mercury plummeted sharply across the Valley last night while a Western disturbance is expected to hit Kashmir from January 16, raising hopes for a fresh spell of light to moderate snowfall in the valley.
According to the Meteorological Department officials, a weak Western Disturbance is likely to affect the weather system in the region on Friday, followed by a stronger system three days later.
While the higher reaches have received snow this winter, the plains continue to face a prolonged dry spell.
The cold wave conditions intensified across the valley as minimum temperatures dropped on Monday night.
Srinagar recorded a low of minus 4.9 degrees Celsius on Monday night, down from minus 2.4 degrees Celsius the previous night, a MeT official said.
Sonamarg in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district was the coldest place in the valley at minus 7.0 degrees Celsius.
Pahalgam tourist resort in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius. In north Kashmir, the ski resort of Gulmarg saw the mercury settle at minus 3.5 degrees Celsius.
Qazigund recorded a low of minus 5.0 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag and Kupwara registered minus 1.6 and minus 5.8 degrees Celsius respectively.
Kashmir is currently in the “Chilla-i-Kalan”, a 40-day period of extreme cold that began on December 21 and ends on January 30.
During this time, temperatures frequently drop well below the freezing point and the chance of snowfall is highest. However, the plains have remained without snow so far this season.