Srinagar shivers at minus 5.8°C

Srinagar|Dec, 20: A day ahead of Chillai-e-Kalan— the 40-day long chilliest part of the winter season—J&K and Ladakh continued to reel under intense cold conditions with Srinagar recording a low of minus 5.8°C on Monday.
A meteorological department official here said that the mercury in the summer capital was two notches up from previous two night’s minus 6.0°C. However, he said, overall it was below minus 4.3°C than the normal for this time of the year. While 40-day long ‘Chillai Kalan starts on December 21, it is followed by a 20-day long ‘Chillai Khurd’ and a 10-day-long ‘Chilla Bachha’.
Meanwhile, the mercury in the world famous resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district settled at minus 5.5°C against minus 7.5°C on the previous night, the official said.
Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, had a low of minus 6.0°C against minus 6.0°C on the previous night, he said. Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 7.4°C against minus 8.7°C on previous night. Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 5.9°C against minus 6.0°C on previous  night, the official said. Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 5.2°C against minus 6.1°C on the previous night, the official said. Jammu, the J&K’s winter capital, saw a low of 3.2°C which is minus 5.7°C below normal, he said. Ladakh’s Leh had a low of minus 13.9°C against last night’s minus 16.0°C while automatic Kargil station recorded minimum of minus 11.5°C. Drass in Kargil, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 19.0°C, the official said.
“Mostly dry and cold weather is likely to continue till December 22 forenoon in both J&K and Ladakh,” the official said, adding, “There’s a modifications in early forecast of snowfall. Now, there’s no forecast of any major snowfall in both J&K and Ladakh.” However, he said, light to moderate snowfall is expected at many places of J&K and at scattered places of Ladakh especially along Sonmarg-Drass, Parkachik-Padum axis during evening of December 22 to 25. He said that due to mainly clear sky, night temperature Is most likely to fall further during next three days. “Thereafter, due to the approaching Western Disturbance, we expect gradual fall in day temperature and slight rise in night temperature from December 21 to 26.”