Dip in mercury after season’s first snowfall in Kashmir plains

A day after plain areas in Kashmir received the season’s first snowfall, the minimum temperatures dropped across the Valley on Friday, with the weather department predicting a cold wave at many places over the next four days, officials said.

The night temperatures decreased across the Valley, after the snowfall in the higher reaches and some plains of Kashmir, the meteorological department said.

Jammu and Kashmir’s summer capital, Srinagar, recorded a minimum temperature of minus 2 degrees Celsius, down from minus 0.5 degrees Celsius the previous night, the officials said.

They said that Gulmarg, a tourist destination in north Kashmir popular for skiing, was the coldest recorded place in the Valley, with the mercury plunging to minus 9.6 degrees Celsius, compared to minus 5.2 degrees Celsius the night before.

Pahalgam, the base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra in south Kashmir, experienced its coldest night of the season at minus 9.4 degrees Celsius, a significant drop from minus 4.6 degrees Celsius recorded the previous night, the weather department said.

Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir, registered a low of minus 1.4 degrees Celsius, while Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 2.5 degrees Celsius, and Kokernag in south Kashmir logged minus 1.8 degrees Celsius, it added.

The higher reaches, including popular tourist resorts of Gulmarg and Sonamarg, Tangmarg, Gurez, and Zojila axis received light to moderate snowfall on Thursday, the officials said.

Some areas in the plains in Shopian, Pulwama, and Baramulla, as well as the upper areas of Anantnag, Budgam, and Bandipora also received light snowfall, they added.

The Met department has forecast mainly dry weather till December 21. However, the minimum temperature is expected to fall further in the Valley and there would be a cold wave over many stations during the next four days, they said.