Srinagar: Several higher reaches in Kashmir, including Gulmarg, received fresh snowfall on Friday, officials said.
The tourist resorts of Sonamarg in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district and Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district received fresh moderate snowfall, they said.
Other areas in the higher reaches of the valley, including Gurez and Razdan Top in Bandipora, Sadhna Top in Kupwara, and Zojila Axis along the Srinagar-Leh national highway, also received snowfall.
The Meteorological department has forecast snowfall in the higher reaches of the valley and light rain in the plains.
It said that while the weather is likely to remain partly to generally cloudy with light snow at isolated higher reaches on Saturday and Sunday, light to moderate rain and snowfall at some places on January 19-20.
Meanwhile, the minimum temperatures across Kashmir improved on Friday to settle above the seasonal average.
The region, however, continued to experience sub-zero night temperatures, except in Kokernag, where the minimum settled above the freezing point.
Srinagar recorded a low of minus 1.5 degrees Celsius on Thursday night, up from minus 3.9 degrees Celsius the previous night. It was half a degree above the seasonal average in the city, officials said.
Pulwama in south Kashmir was the coldest recorded place in the Valley on Thursday night, with the mercury settling at minus 4.6 degrees Celsius. Pahalgam recorded a minimum temperature of minus 2.6 degrees Celsius, up from minus 5 degrees Celsius the previous night.
Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district registered a low of minus 2.3 degrees Celsius — 5.5 notches above the seasonal average. Sonamarg in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district recorded a low of minus 1.6 degrees Celsius, officials of the meteorological department said.
Qazigund, the gateway town of the valley, saw the mercury settle at minus 1.6 degrees Celsius. Kokernag recorded a low of 0.2 degrees Celsius, and Kupwara recorded a low of minus 1.4 degrees Celsius.
The Kashmir Valley is currently in the midst of ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’, the 40-day harshest winter period, during which night temperatures frequently plunge several degrees below the freezing point, and chances of snowfall are the highest.
