Mercury dips further in Valley

Srinagar, Jan 18: The freezing conditions intensified further in Kashmir valley with minimum temperature plunging to minus 4.3°C in Srinagar while Qazigund recorded its coldest night so far this season at minus 7.4°C on Wednesday.
A meteorological department official here said that Srinagar recorded a drop of 1.6°C against last night’s minus 2.7°C. Today’s minimum temperature, he said, was 2.2°C below normal for the summer capital, he said.
Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of minus 7.4°C against minus 5.4°C on the previous night and it was 4.1°C below normal and the coldest night this season for the gateway town of Kashmir.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 11.7°C against minus 11.8°C on the previous night which was the coldest night recorded this season in the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, he said. Today’s temperature was 4.5°C below normal for the place, he said.
Kokernag recorded a low of minus 6.3°C against minus 5.2°C on the previous night and was 2.4°C below normal for the place, the officials said.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 11.3°C against minus 11.5°C on the previous night, the official said. While today’s minimum temperature was 3.6°C below normal, the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district recorded its coldest night this winter on January 16.
In Kupwara town, he said, the mercury settled at minus 6.2°C against minus 4.3°C on the previous night and it was 3.1°C below normal in the north Kashmir area.
Jammu recorded a low of 4.5°C against 3.1°C on the previous night. It was 2.6°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of minus 0.3°C (below normal by 0.1°C), Batote minus 0.5°C (below normal by 2.3°C), Katra 4.2°C (2.0°C below normal) and Bhadarwah minus 1.4°C (0.5°C below normal).
Ladakh, Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 15.8°C and minus 23.1°C respectively, the official said.
He said weather is likely to be mainly dry and partly cloudy during the next 24 hours.
“From January 19-21, weather is likely to be cloudy with chances of light rain/snow over isolated to scattered places mainly over higher reaches,” he said, adding, “From 22nd to 24th, there is possibility of light to moderate rain and snow over plains and moderate snow over middle and higher reaches most likely during 23rd/24th January at most places of J&K.”
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.