At minus 12.0°C Gulmarg coldest place in Kashmir

Srinagar, Feb 4: Barring Srinagar and Qazigund, the minimum temperature stayed below freezing point in Kashmir Valley with the famous tourist resort of Gulmarg recording a low of minus 12.0°C on Friday, officials said.
A meteorological department official here said that Gulmarg had 1.6mm of rainfall in 24 hours till 0830 hours today even as it recorded a low of minus 12.0°C against minus 6.0°C on the previous night, he said. The temperature was 4.4°C below normal for this time of the year in the famous resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.
Srinagar, the summer capital of the J&K, had 4.8mm of rain while it recorded a low of 1.6°C against last night’s 0.6°C, he said.
Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, had 6mm of rain during the time while it recorded a low of 0.2°C against minus 2.1°C on the previous night, he said.
Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded 5.5 cms of snowfall and had a low of minus 1.1°C against minus 1.0°C on the previous night, the official said.
Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, had 11.1cms of snowfall while it recorded a low of minus 3.4°C against minus 1.7°C on the last night, he said.
Kupwara town in north Kashmir had traces of rain or snowfall during the time while as it recorded a low of minus 0.4°C against 0.4°C on the previous night, the official said.
While the ‘Chillai Kalan’, the 40-day long harshest period of winter ended on January 30, Kashmir is under the grip of the 20-day long ‘Chillai Khurd’ which would be followed by 10-day-long ‘Chilla Bachha’.
Jammu recorded a low of 7.0°C against previous night’s 10.0°C. The temperature was 1.4°C below normal for the J&K’s winter capital during this time of the year, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of 0.0°C, Katra had a minimum of 7.0°C while Bhaderwah recorded a low of 0.0°C, the official said.
Ladakh’s Leh recorded a low of minus 13.4°C against last night’s minus 11°C while mercury at automatic station in Kargil settled at minus 14.0°C. Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 9.3°C against last night’s minus 11.4°C, official said.
The weatherman has forecast “erratic weather” with occasional snowfall at scattered places till February 8.
For the next 24 hours, light rain or snowfall has been forecast at scattered places.
“Light rain and snow is also most likely at scattered places during February 6 to 7,” he said, adding, “Overall, weather likely to remain (erratic) partly to generally cloudy with occasional light snowfall at scattered places till February 8.” (GNS)