Srinagar|Feb, 13 : The third active Western Disturbance (WD) of this winter is likely to bring widespread light to moderate rain and snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir this Sunday, officials said.
There is a prediction of heavy snowfall over the higher reaches in J&K and Ladakh during February 18–21, with main activity from Monday to Tuesday. The Meteorological Centre Srinagar said the weather is very likely to remain dry until February 17.
From February 18–20, there will be light to moderate snowfall over the upper reaches and rain over the plains, with the possibility of light snowfall at a few places in the Kashmir valley. There is a possibility of heavy snowfall at a few places over south Kashmir and moderate to heavy snowfall over the north and north-western parts of the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir.
It said that there is a possibility of moderate to heavy snowfall over the higher reaches of parts of central Kashmir as well.
The minimum temperature is likely to improve and may stay at -2°C to -3°C in the plains, and it will be -8°C to -10°C in the hill stations of the Kashmir valley during the coming days.
The MeT office said the minimum temperature during the intervening nights of Monday and Tuesday improved further by a few notches as Srinagar recorded a low of -2.5°C against -3.6°C the previous night. It was still 2.7°C below normal for the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir.
Qazigund on Srinagar-Jammu National had a low of -1.2°C against -3.2°C, while the picnic spot of Kokernag in south Kashmir recorded a low of -0.3°C against -2.5°C the previous day.
The tourist hot spot of Pahalgam remained the coldest place in Kashmir Valley, although there was an improvement in the minimum temperature by several notches. Pahalgam recorded -5.4°C against -7.0 °C. It was 0.4°C below normal for the valley of shepherds in south Kashmir.
Kupwara recorded a low of -3.6°C against -4.4°, and it was 1.2°C below normal for the frontier north Kashmir district.
The minimum temperature at Gulmarg settled at -4.5°C for the second consecutive day on Tuesday, and it was 1.7°C above normal for the famous ski resort of north Kashmir.
