Cold wave grips Kashmir amid snowfall forecast

Srinagar, Dec 2: Kashmir Valley and Ladakh continued to reel under freezing temperatures with Srinagar recording the second night on Friday.
A meteorological department official here said that Srinagar recorded minus 2.4°C against previous night’s minus 1.8°C. It was second coldest night after December 1 when mercury fell to 2.5°C, lowest temperature recorded this season.
Qazigund recorded minimum temperature of minus 1.8°C against minus 1.5°C on the previous night, he said. It was minus 0.8°C below normal for the gateway town of Kashmir for this time of the year, the official said.
Pahalgam recorded a low of minus 4.1°C against minus 4.2°C on previous night. The famous resort in south Kashmir was coldest place in entire Valley.
Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, recorded a low of minus 2.3°C against minus 1.4°C on previous night and normal of minus 0.6°C, the official said.
Kupwara town in north Kashmir recorded a low of minus 2.8°C against minus 3.3°C on the previous night, the official said.
Gulmarg, the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir, recorded a minimum of minus 1.0°C against minus 1.5°C on the previous night, the official said.
Ladakh’s Leh recorded a low of minus 5.6°C against last night’s minus 4.6°C while Kargil town recorded a low of minus 4.0°C. Drass in Kargil, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 12.9°C, the official said.
The weatherman has forecast widespread light to moderate snowfall and rains in plains of Jammu and Kashmir during 4-6 December.
“A fresh western disturbance most likely to affect J&K and adjoining areas during 4th (evening) to 6th (Afternoon) December with peak activity on 5th December,” the official said, adding, “”Widespread light to moderate snowfall in middle and higher reaches of Kashmir/Jammu and light snow/rain over plains of Kashmir/Jammu is expected.”
He said higher reaches of Kupwara, Baramulla, Bandipora, Shopian and Ganderbal districts may receive 6-9 inches of Snow during the period.
Regarding the probable impact, he said, there may be temporary disruption of air and surface traffic over passes like Zojila, Sinthan Top, Razdan Top, Mugal Road due to snow and freezing temperatures on December 5.
The MeT official said that there should be proper prunning of orchards and withheld irrigation and fertilizer application in wheat and mustard crops in plains of Jammu during period. (GNS)