Srinagar: Weatherman on Monday predicted widespread light to moderate snowfall and rains in plains of Jammu and Kashmir from December 05 to 07 even as minimum temperature at most places in Kashmir Valley settled several degrees below the freezing point during the past night.
A MeT department official said that a Western Disturbance is most likely to affect J&K during the period which is expected to cause widespread light to moderate snowfall in Kashmir plains while rain in Jammu.
Some places on higher reaches above 2000m may receive heavy snow of 1-2 ft whereas plains are likely to receive 2-3 inches of snow, the official added.
As per the official, the adverse weather conditions may cause temporary disruption of traffic over passes like Zojila, Sinthan Top, Razdan Top, Mugal Road due to snow and freezing temperatures.
Meanwhile, Srinagar recorded a low of minus 1.1 degrees Celsius on Sunday night, down from minus 0.2 degrees Celsius the previous night, the officials said.
They said Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius.
Gulmarg resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district also recorded a minimum temperature of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius.
The mercury in Kupwara in north Kashmir settled at a low of minus 1.6 degrees Celsius.
Qazigund, the gateway town to the Valley, recorded minus 2 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag recorded a low of minus 0.5 degrees Celsius.
The MET Office has said the weather will most likely remain dry but cold till December 03.
The wintry conditions in the Valley set-in much ahead of the beginning of extreme harsh weather conditions which usually start around the third week of December.
‘Chillai Kalan’, the 40-day period of harsh winter in Kashmir, begins on December 21 every year.
