Drop In Temperature, Clear Skies, Dry Weather Likely In Kashmir Till January 5

Minimum temperatures across Kashmir fell sharply due to clear night skies, even as the meteorological department forecast largely dry weather over the next few days, officials said on Friday.

According to PTI, several tourist destinations — including Gulmarg, Pahalgam and Sonamarg — along with higher reaches of the valley received overnight snowfall on Wednesday night. However, officials said the clearing of skies led to a noticeable drop in night temperatures across most parts of the region. PTI reported that Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, woke up to a sunny morning.

On Thursday night, Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of 0.1 degrees Celsius, down from 2.2 degrees Celsius the previous night, officials said. Despite the drop, the temperature remained 2.5 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average, according to PTI.

Gulmarg was the coldest place in the region, with the mercury settling at minus 7.0 degrees Celsius, a fall of 1.5 degrees from the previous night, officials said. In south Kashmir, Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 6.2 degrees Celsius, marking a sharp decline from minus 0.4 degrees Celsius a night earlier. Qazigund, the gateway town of the valley, recorded a minimum of minus 1.2 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag saw the temperature drop to minus 0.5 degrees Celsius. In north Kashmir, Kupwara registered a low of 0.8 degrees Celsius.

PTI reported that the region is currently in the grip of ‘Chilla-e-Kalan’, a 40-day period marked by severe cold, during which night temperatures often plunge well below freezing and snowfall is most frequent. However, officials said current temperature readings show a departure from normal trends, and the plains of the valley have yet to receive any snowfall this season. The meteorological department has forecast that weather conditions are likely to remain largely dry until January 5.

(With inputs from PTI)