Sajid Raina
Srinagar, Jan 31: Night temperatures across Kashmir remained below the freezing point but showed a rising trend at most places marking the beginning of Chillai Khurd and the conclusion of Chillai Kalan, the 40-day coldest phase of winter.
An official of the Meteorological Department said that the minimum temperatures across several locations recorded improvement compared to previous nights, though sub-zero conditions persisted in many areas of the Valley.
While sharing the details the official said that in Srinagar, the minimum temperature settled at minus 0.1 degrees Celsius on Friday night, down from 1.3 degrees Celsius the previous night, and remained around 0.5 degrees Celsius above the seasonal average.
He said that a famous ski resort in North Kashmir, Gulmarg recorded the lowest temperature in the Union Territory at minus 6.5 degrees Celsius, improving from minus 10.6 degrees Celsius a night earlier.
Pahalgam in south Kashmir recorded a minimum temperature of minus 2.6 degrees Celsius, up from minus 5.3 degrees Celsius on the previous night.
Qazigund registered a low of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius, while Kokernag and Kupwara recorded minimum temperatures of minus 3.0 degrees Celsius and minus 2.5 degrees Celsius, respectively, the official said.
Chillai Khurd, which lasts for 20 days, is followed by Chillai Bachha, a 10-day phase marking the final part of winter in the Valley.
The weather office forecast generally cloudy conditions with the possibility of light to moderate rain or snowfall, particularly in higher reaches, along with thunder or gusty winds at several places on January 31 and February 1 across Jammu and Kashmir.
For February 2 and 3, the department predicted generally cloudy weather with light rain or snowfall in higher altitude areas at scattered to many places.
From February 4 till the evening of February 6, partly cloudy weather is expected, while February 7 may see generally cloudy conditions with light rain or snow at a few places.
Dry weather has been forecast from February 8 to February 10, the official added.
An advisory has been issued for farmers, asking them to suspend agricultural activities till February 7 in view of the prevailing and expected weather conditions.
Authorities have also advised people living in avalanche-prone areas to remain cautious while moving outside.
Travellers and transporters have been asked to check the status of the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway with traffic department control rooms before undertaking journeys.
The Jammu and Kashmir Disaster Management Authority said an avalanche with a medium danger level is likely to occur above 2,400 metres in Bandipora district during the next 24 hours and urged people to avoid avalanche-prone zones and follow official advisories.
