Night temperature increases as JK braces for wet spell

Srinagar, Jan 7: The minimum temperature recorded a considerable increase on Saturday as Jammu and Kashmir braces for nearly weeklong cloudy and wet weather in wake of two back-to-back western disturbances.
On January 8-9, a meteorological department official told GNS that there is possibility of light to moderate Snowfall(rain in plains of Jammu) at many places of J&K ( more than 75% chance).
From January 10-11th, he said, weather is livelily to be “generally cloudy”
From January 12-13, he said, there is possibility of widespread moderate snowfall (rain in plains of Jammu) with “heavy snowfall” over higher reaches ( more than 75% chances)
He said that weather system “very likely” to affect surface transportation during January 8-9th (70% chance) and Air transportation during 12-13th (60-70% chance).
Meanwhile, he said, Srinagar recorded a low of minus 1.4°C against last night’s minus 5.5°C that was coldest for the season so far. Today’s minimum temperature was 0.5°C above normal, he said.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of minus 1.6°C against minus 5.6°C. Today’s minimum temperature was 1.5°C above normal, he said.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 2.8°C against minus 8.6°C on the previous night. Today’s minimum temperature was 4.2°C above normal for the place, he said. 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.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 1.4°C against minus 4.3°C on the previous night, he said. It was 2.6°C above normal for the place.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 2.6°C against minus 5.0°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 2.6°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 2.6°C against minus 5.6°C on the previous night in the north Kashmir area, he said. The official said that the temperature was 0.9°C above normal.
Jammu recorded a low of 5.0°C against 3.7°C on the previous night. It was 2.4°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of 3.4°C (above normal by 3.4°C), Batote 5.1°C (above normal by 3.6°C), Katra 7.6°C (1.6°C above normal) and Bhadarwah 2.0°C (3.8°C above normal).
In Ladakh, Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 10.8°C and minus 14.8°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. (GNS)