Srinagar, Feb 7 : Barring Srinagar and Qazigund, the minimum temperature recorded a fall in Jammu and Kashmir with Gulmarg being the coldest place in the J&K at 7.0°C on Tuesday. A meteorological department official here told GNS that Srinagar recorded a low of 2.7°C against 1.8°C on the previous night. Today’s minimum temperature, he said, was above normal by 3.1°C for the summer capital. Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of 0.4°C against minus 1.6°C °C on the previous night and it was 1.9°C above normal for the gateway town of Kashmir. Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 5.9°C against minus 0.2°C on the previous night and it was 0.3°C above normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Kokernag recorded a low of minus 0.7°C against 1.1°C on the previous night and it was 1.3°C above normal for the place, the officials said. Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 7.0°C against minus 3.6°C on the previous night and it was 0.3°C below normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said. In Kupwara town, he said, the mercury recorded a drop and settled at minus 1.0°C against minus 0.3°C on the previous night and it was 1.0°C above normal for the north Kashmir area. Jammu recorded a low of 8.4°C against 11.9°C on the previous night. It was 1.1°C below normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said. Banihal, he said, recorded a drop by 4.0°C, recording a low of 0.2°C than previous night (overall below normal by 0.8°C). Batote, he said, recorded a low of 2.0°C (below normal by 0.2°C), Katra 8.8°C (1.4°C above normal) and Bhadarwah 0.2°C (0.5°C above normal). Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 11.4°C and minus 10.0°C respectively, the official said. While Chillai-Kalan, the 40-day long harsh winter period that started on December 21 has ended, Kashmir is under the grip of a 20-day-long period called ‘Chillai-Khurd’. It will be followed by a 10-day-long period ‘Chillai-Bachha’ (baby cold) which is from February 20 to March 1. Regarding the forecast, the MeT official said that the weather will be mainly dry during the next 24 hours. For subsequent two days, he said, there is a possibility of “isolated to widespread light to moderate rain, snow and thunders.
