Srinagar, Jan 9 : Gulmarg and Pahalgam along with other higher reaches received fresh snowfall while light rains lashed plains including Srinagar amid increase in night temperature on Monday. A meteorological department official here told that Srinagar recorded a low of 0.9°C against last night’s minus 0.1°C. Today’s minimum temperature was 2.8°C above normal for the summer capital which received 0.5mm of rainfall in the last 24 hours till 0830 hours today, he said. Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of 0.2°C against minus 1.3°C. Today’s minimum temperature was 1.8°C above normal for the gateway town that had 0.8mm of rain during the time, he said. Pahalgam received 0.2cm of snowfall during the time and recorded a low of minus 0.7°C against minus 1.4°C on the previous night. Today’s minimum temperature was 6.3°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 also received 0.7 mm of rain and recorded a low of minus 0.5°C against minus 1.6°C on the previous night, he said. It was 3.5°C above normal for the place. Gulmarg received 9 cm of snowfall and recorded a low of minus 2.5°C against minus 3.4°C on the previous night, the official said. It was 5.3°C above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district that had its coldest night this season on January 2 when minimum temperature plummeted to minus 10.0°C, the official said. In Kupwara town, the mercury settled at 0.7°C against 0.4°C on the previous night in the north Kashmir area that received 13.4mm of rain during the 24 hours, he said. The official said that the temperature was 3.4°C above normal. Jammu recorded a low of 5.2°C against 5.0°C on the previous night. It was 2.2°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said. Banihal had 0.9mm of rain and recorded a low of 5.2°C (above normal by 5.2°C), Batote received 0.4mm of rain and recorded a low of 5.2°C (above normal by 5.2°C), Katra recorded 10.5°C (4.5°C above normal) while Bhadarwah received 0.6mm of rain and recorded a low of 5.2°C (6.2°C above normal). In Ladakh, Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 6.6°C and minus 7.5°C respectively, the official said. The meteorological department has forecast the possibility of light to moderate snowfall (rain in plains of Jammu) at many places of J&K during next 24 hours. From January 10-11th, the MeT official 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 the weather system is “very likely” to affect air transportation during 12-13th (60-70% chance). 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.
