Mercury remains above freezing point in most places in JK, Ladakh

Srinagar, Dec 25: Amid cloud cover, the minimum temperature settled at above freezing point at most places in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.
A meteorological department official here said that Srinagar, the summer capital of J&K recorded a low of 1.7°C against last night’s 2.4°C.
The mercury settled at minus 6.5°C against minus 5.1°C on the previous night at the world famous resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, the official said. It was minus 0.7°C below normal for the famous resort which recorded 3.3cms of fresh snowfall.
Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, had a low of 2.2°C against 1.2°C on the previous night, he said.
Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 5.1°C against minus 1.3°C on previous night and had snowfall of 0.4 cm.
Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a low of 1.0°C against 1.2°C on previous night, the official said.
Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 0.8°C against 2.2°C on the previous night, the official said.
Jammu, the J&K’s winter capital, saw a low of 7.6°C which is minus 0.6°C below normal for the place during this time of the year, he said.
Ladakh’s Leh had a low of minus 10.2°C against last night’s 0.5°C while automatic Kargil station recorded minimum of minus 6.4°C. Drass in Kargil, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 13.4°C, the official said.
Kashmir is presently under the grip of 40-day long harshest period of winter, known locally as ‘Chillai Kalan, which started from December 21. It is followed by a 20-day long ‘Chillai Khurd’ and a 10-day-long ‘Chilla Bachha’.