Fresh snowfall in higher reaches, light rains in plains

Srinagar, Jan 7: Famous resorts of Gulmarg and Pahalgam received fresh snowfall while rains lashed plains in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Monday.
A meteorological department official here said that Srinagar, the summer capital of the J&K, had 0.8mm of rainfall during the last 24 hours till 0830 hours today and recorded a low of 2.2°C against last night’s 2.8°C, he said.
Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, had no rain or snowfall and recorded a low of 0.6°C against 1.2°C on the previous night, he said.
Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, had a low of minus 1.3°C against 0.1°C on the previous night, the official said.
Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, received 11.3 cms (around 4.5 inches) of fresh snowfall and recorded a low of minus 0.5°C against minus 3.7°C last night, he said.
Gulmarg received 14 cms (5.5 inches) of snow and recorded a low of minus 5.0°C against minus 7.5°C on the previous night, he said.
The temperature was 0.7°C below normal for this time of the year in the famous resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.
Kupwara town in north Kashmir, which received 6.9mm of rain, recorded a low of 0.7°C against 1.1°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 received traces of rain and recorded a low of 10.5°C against previous night’s 6.6°C, the official said. The temperature was 1.0°C above normal for the J&K’s winter capital during this time of the year, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of 3.0°C, Batote had a minimum of 2.2°C while Bhaderwah recorded a low of 2.2°C, the official said.
Ladakh’s Leh recorded a low of minus 11.0°C against last night’s minus 11.4°C while mercury at automatic station in Kargil settled at minus 12.5°C. Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 10.9°C against last night’s minus 17.9°C, official said.
The weatherman has forecast “erratic weather” with occasional snowfall at scattered places till February 8. (GNS)