Srinagar: Night temperatures in the Kashmir Valley dipped below the freezing point owing to a clear sky, with the ski-resort of Gulmarg shivering at minus 10.2 degrees Celsius, Meteorological department officials said here on Tuesday.
All weather stations in the Valley recorded sub-zero night temperatures several degrees below the normal for this part of the season, the officials said.
They said the temperature in Gulmarg, the ski-resort in north Kashmir, settled at a low of minus 10.2 degrees Celsius, which is six degrees below the normal for this time of the season.
The resort was the coldest recorded place in the UT, the Met officials said.
Pahalgam tourist resort in south Kashmir recorded a low of minus 5.3 degrees Celsius, and Srinagar – the summer capital of the union territory – recorded a low of minus 3.2 degrees Celsius, they said.
Qazigund – the gateway town to the Valley – recorded a low of minus 2.6 degrees Celsius, while Kupwara, in the north, registered a low of minus 2.3 degrees Celsius and Kokernag, in the south, minus 4.2 degrees Celsius, the officials said.
Jammu recorded 3.1, Katra 6.5, Batote 0.1, Banihal minus 2.2 and Bhaderwah minus 1.8 degree Celsius as the night’s lowest temperatures.
In Ladakh, Drass town recorded minus 18.6, Leh minus 10.7 and Kargil minus 13.8 degree Celsius.
The Met Office has said the weather is likely to remain mainly dry till December 21 with the possibility of a further decrease in night temperatures.
The 40-day long period of harsh winter locally known as ‘Chillai Kalan’ begins on December 21 and ends on January 31.
Perennial water reservoirs of J&K and Ladakh get replenished by the heavy snowfall during the Chillai Kalan.
These perennial reservoirs are the lifeline of all the rivers, streams, springs and lakes in J&K and Ladakh.
