Srinagar- The meteorological department on Friday predicted more snowfall and rains across Jammu and Kashmir as two back to back western disturbances are expected to hit the region on January 16 and 18.
“A fresh Western Disturbance is likely to affect Jammu & Kashmir region from 16th and another Western Disturbance from 18th January. During the period of these three days, no major snowfall is predicted in the region. For higher reaches the weather is likely to cause light to moderate snowfall and in the lower reaches, the weather is predicted to cause scattered rainfall. For the city, the three days will mainly remain cloudy.” Director Meteorological Department, Sonum Lotus told Kashmir Observer.
“In these two western disturbances, the minimum temperature will rise by a few degrees and the maximum temperature will decrease a bit.”
Meanwhile, the minimum temperature dropped at most places in Kashmir on Friday as the intense cold wave conditions continued in the valley, officials said here.
The night temperature settled several degrees below normal for this part of the season.
Gulmarg, the famous skiing resort in Baramulla district of north Kashmir, was the only place in the valley where the night temperature improved on Thursday night, the officials said.
The resort recorded a low of minus 10.5 degrees Celsius, slightly up from minus 11.0 degrees Celsius.
It was for the sixth straight night that the minimum temperature has settled at minus 10 degrees Celsius or below, the officials said.
Pahalgam in south Kashmir Anantnag district recorded a low of minus 10.3 degrees Celsius, a degree down from the previous night, they said.
The minimum temperature in Srinagar, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, settled at minus 3.4 degrees Celsius half-a-degree down from the previous night, the officials said.
They said Qazigund recorded the minimum of minus 7.8 degrees Celsius, while the nearby south Kashmir town of Kokernag recorded a low of minus 7.5 degrees Celsius.
The minimum temperature in Kupwara in north Kashmir settled at a low of minus 4.2 degrees Celsius.
The MET Office said the weather is likely to stay mainly dry over the next few days and the minimum temperature is likely to drop further.
Kashmir valley is currently under the grip of the 40-day harshest winter period known as ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’ which began on December 21.
‘Chilla-i-Kalan’ is a period when a cold wave grips the region and the temperature drops considerably leading to the freezing of water bodies including the famous Dal Lake here as well as the water supply lines in several parts of the valley.
The chances of snowfall are the most frequent and maximum during this period and most areas, especially in the higher reaches, receive heavy to very heavy snowfall.
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