Srinagar- Health resorts of Gulmarg and Pahalgam received fresh snowfall while rains lashed plains in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Monday.
A meteorological department official here said that Srinagar, the summer capital of the J&K, had 0.8mm of rainfall during the last 24 hours till 0830 hours today and recorded a low of 2.2°C against last night’s 2.8°C, he said.
Qazigund, the gateway town of Kashmir, had no rain or snowfall and recorded a low of 0.6°C against 1.2°C on the previous night, he said.
Kokernag, also in south Kashmir, had a low of minus 1.3°C against 0.1°C on the previous night, the official said.
Pahalgam, the famous resort in south Kashmir, received 11.3 cms (around 4.5 inches) of fresh snowfall and recorded a low of minus 0.5°C against minus 3.7°C last night, he said.
Gulmarg received 14 cms (5.5 inches) of snow and recorded a low of minus 5.0°C against minus 7.5°C on the previous night, he said.
The temperature was 0.7°C below normal for this time of the year in the famous resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.
Kupwara town in north Kashmir, which received 6.9mm of rain, recorded a low of 0.7°C against 1.1°C on the previous night, the official said.
Jammu received traces of rain and recorded a low of 10.5°C against previous night’s 6.6°C, the official said. The temperature was 1.0°C above normal for the J&K’s winter capital during this time of the year, he said.
Banihal recorded a low of 3.0°C, Batote had a minimum of 2.2°C while Bhaderwah recorded a low of 2.2°C, the official said.
Ladakh’s Leh recorded a low of minus 11.0°C against last night’s minus 11.4°C while mercury at automatic station in Kargil settled at minus 12.5°C. Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, recorded a low of minus 10.9°C against last night’s minus 17.9°C, official said.
The weatherman has forecast “erratic weather” with occasional snowfall at scattered places till February 8.
Kashmir is currently under the influence of the 20-day ‘Chillai-Khurd’ (small cold) which began after the ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’, the 40-day harshest winter period, ended on January 31.
‘Chilla-i-Kalan’, which started on December 21 last year, is the 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 maximum during this period and most areas, especially in the higher reaches, receive heavy to very heavy snowfall.
However, ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’ this year was not as harsh as last year’s and there was less snowfall.
‘Chillai-Khurd’ is followed by a 10-day ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold).
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