Minimum temp improves slightly in JK

Srinagar, Jan 6: Severe cold conditions continued in Kashmir Valley even as there was a slight rise in the minimum temperature on Friday.
The meteorological department official said that Srinagar recorded a low of minus 5.5°C against last night’s minus 6.4°C that was coldest for the season so far. Today’s minimum temperature was 3.6°C below normal.
Qazigund recorded a low of minus 5.6°C against minus 6.2°C, the lowest recorded this season for the gateway town of Kashmir. Today’s minimum temperature was 2.7°C below normal, he said.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 8.6°C against minus 9.2°C on the previous night. The coldest night recorded this season in the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district was on January 2 when mercury plunged to minus 9.6°C, he said. Today’s minimum temperature was 1.6°C below normal for the place, he said.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 4.3°C against minus 4.4°C on the previous night, he said. It was 0.3°C below normal for the place, he said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 5.0°C against minus 7.5°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 2.8°C above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district which recorded its coldest night on January 2 when minimum temperature plummeted to minus 10.0°C, the official said.
In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at minus 5.6°C against minus 6.0°C on the previous night in the north Kashmir area, he said. The official said that the temperature was 2.9°C below normal.
Jammu recorded a low of 3.7°C against 3.0°C on the previous night. It was 3.7°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of 5.4°C (above normal by 5.4°C), Batote 3.6°C (above normal by 2.1°C), Katra 4.6°C (1.4°C below normal) and Bhadarwah minus 0.6°C (1.6°C below normal).
In Ladakh, Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 14.6°C and minus 18.1°C respectively, the official said.
Kashmir is under the grip of Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day long harsh winter period that started on December 21. It does not mean an end to the winter either. It is followed by a 20-day-long period called ‘Chillai-Khurd’ that occurs between January 30 and February 19 and a 10-day-long period ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold) which is from February 20 to March 1.