No major snowfall expected till Jan end in JK: MeT

Srinagar, Jan 15: Weatherman on Saturday said that there was no forecast of any major rain or snow till the end of January in J&K.
“Under the influence of feeble Western Disturbance, weather most likely to remain generally cloudy with possibility of very light to light rain/snow in plains of J&K during 16-19th and light to moderate snowfall over higher reaches,” an official of the MeT department said in a statement to GNS. “As of today, there’s no forecast of any major rain/snow till ending Jan. ( accuracy 60-70%) .”
Meanwhile sub-zero cold conditions continued in Kashmir Valley and Ladakh with Srinagar, the summer capital of J&K, recording a low of minus 4.5°C on Saturday.
The official said that the minimum temperature in Srinagar was down by more than a degree Celsius than previous night’s minus 3.4°C. It was minus 2.1°C below normal for this time of year.
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’.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 9.5°C against 10.5°C on previous night, he said. The temperature was minus 1.6°C below normal for this time of the year in the famous resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district.
Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 11.4°C against minus 10.3°C last night, he said.
Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 7.6°C against minus 7.8°C on the previous night, he said.
Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 7.2°C against minus 7.5°C on the previous night, the official said.
Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a minimum of minus 5.0°C against minus 1.3°C on the previous night, the official said.
Jammu recorded a low of 7.7°C against previous night’s 5.7°C which is 0.7°C above normal for the J&K’s winter capital during this time of the year, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of 0.8°C, Katra 5.0 °C and Bhaderwah saw a minimum of minus 2.1°C, the official said.
Ladakh’s Leh recorded a low of minus 16.8°C against last night’s minus 13.8°C while mercury at automatic station in Kargil settled at minus 18.6°C. Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 27.6°C against last night’s minus 23.8°C, official said. (GNS)