An intense cold wave gripped Jammu Kashmir with the night temperature staying many degrees below freezing point in the Valley.
Sonamarg registered the lowest temperature in Kashmir at –9.8°C, followed closely by Gulmarg at –9.2°C and Pahalgam at –8.6°C. The night temperature in Shopian dropped to –7.8°C.
The night temperature at Srinagar settled at –5.1°C, sharply down from –1.6°C the preceding night, marking a significant drop, the meteorological department said.
It was the season’s coldest night in Srinagar.
The cold was sharper in hilly districts, with Bhaderwah recording –3.4°C and Rajouri –1.0°C last night.
According to the MeT forecast, minimum temperatures are likely to fall further until January 10, which may result in more intense cold conditions during the night and early morning hours.
Kashmir is expected to witness largely dry weather conditions over the next two weeks, with only brief spells of light rain or snow at isolated places, according to the forecast.
“Up to January 15, the weather is likely to remain partly cloudy across most parts of the Valley. This will be followed by a brief change, as January 16–17 are expected to be generally cloudy with light rain or snow at isolated places in Kashmir,” a MeT official said.
Conditions are likely to turn partly to generally cloudy on January 18–19 before another weak western disturbance may affect higher reaches on January 20, bringing light snowfall at isolated higher reaches of the Kashmir division.
The weather is expected to become partly cloudy again from January 21–22.
According to the meteorological department overall, no significant weather activity is expected till January 22.
Kashmir valley is currently in the midst of ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’, a 40-day period of extreme cold, during which night temperatures often drop several degrees below the freezing point and chances of snowfall are the highest.
‘Chilla-i-Kalan’, which began on December 21 last year, ends on January 30.
The plains of the valley have not received any snowfall so far this season.