Srinagar, Nov 21: Cold wave continued to tighten its grip in the Kashmir Valley, even as a slight improvement in night temperatures was observed.
However, temperatures remained below freezing point at most weather stations across the region on Thursday, according to officials.
In Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, the night temperature dropped to -0.4°C, following the season’s first sub-zero reading of -0.7°C recorded earlier. This was 1.1°C below the normal average for this time of year, the Meteorological Department said.
Shopian in south Kashmir, after experiencing the season’s coldest night on Wednesday, remained the coldest place with the minimum temperature recorded at minus 3.9°C on the second day on Thursday, an independent weather observer, Faizan Arif, said.
Most parts of south Kashmir recorded freezing night temperatures with Anantnag minus 3.5°C , Pulwama minus 3.4°C, Larnoo minus 3.0°C, Kulgam minus 2.0°C, he said.
The temperature at Pahalgam improved and was recorded at minus 3.2°C on Thursday against the minus 3.7°C recorded on the previous night. It was 1.1°C below normal for the tourist spot of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
The minimum temperature at Qazigund dipped to minus 2.0°C on Thursday against the minus 1.6°C recorded the previous day, and it was 2.5°C below normal for the gateway of Kashmir on Tuesday.
The minimum temperature at the ski resort of Gulmarg further improved and was recorded at 0.0°C against the 0.6°C recorded the previous night, and it was 1.5°C above normal for the tourist resort on Thursday.
The picnic spot of Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a low of 0.7°C against the 1.2°C recorded a day ago, and it was 0.7°C below normal for the place during this period of the season, the MeT office said.
Kupwara dipped to a low of minus 0.9°C on Thursday against the minus 0.8°C recorded the previous night. It was 0.6°C below normal for the border district in north Kashmir on Wednesday.
The MeT office said the weather in Kashmir Valley is likely to remain dry till November 23.
It said another wet spell is likely to commence on November 24 with the possibility of light rain and light snow over higher reaches and at scattered places of Kashmir and isolated places of Jammu division.
Thereafter, the weather is very likely to remain generally dry till November 30, it said.
