Srinagar, Feb 18 : Meteorological department on Saturday forecast dry weather in next 24 hours and scattered to fairly widespread light rain or snow and thunder in Jammu and Kashmir for two days from February 19. Also, most places recorded an increase in mercury and Pahalgam remained the only place to record sub-zero level temperature. A meteorological department official told that Srinagar recorded a low of 2.9°C against the previous night’s 2.8°C . Today’s minimum temperature, he said, was above normal by 2.8°C for the summer capital. Qazigund, he said, recorded a low of 1.8°C against 1.8°C on the previous night and it was 1.5°C above normal for the gateway town of Kashmir.
Pahalgam, he said, recorded a low of minus 1.4°C against minus 0.9°C on the previous night and it was 3.0°C above normal for the famous tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district. Kokernag recorded a low of 1.9°C against 0.6°C on the previous night and it was 2.8°C above normal for the place, the officials said. Gulmarg recorded a low of 0.2°C, the same as on the previous night and it was 7.0°C above normal for the world famous skiing resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, he said.
In Kupwara town, he said, the mercury settled at 1.2°C against 0.6°C on the previous night and it was 1.4°C above normal for the north Kashmir area. Jammu recorded a low of 11.3°C against 12.9°C on the previous night. It was 0.8°C above normal for J&K’s winter capital, he said. Banihal, he said, recorded a low of 4.2°C (above normal by 2.9°C), Batote 8.2°C (above normal by 5.3°C), Katra 11.7°C (3.6°C above normal) and Bhadarwah 5.6°C (5.3°C above normal).
Ladakh’s Leh and Kargil recorded a low of minus 3.5°C and minus 7.8°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.
