Srinagar: Amid relentless cold and freezing temperature an active Western Disturbance (WD) is set to impact and likely to cause snowfall over the Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh during the next 24 hours, officials said.
The Meteorological Centre Srinagar said a WD is likely to hit and can trigger light rain over plains of Jammu and light snow over higher reaches of Chenab valley and Pirpanjal range this afternoon to late afternoon Saturday.
“An active WD is set to impact and cause snowfall over the higher reaches of Kathua, Doda, Ramban, and Kishtwar districts with extreme higher altitudes receiving up to 10 inches of snow while the plains of the Jammu region can expect light to moderate rain showers besides Poonch and Rajouri districts are likely to experience a comparatively lesser impact”, an intendant weather forecaster Faizan Arif said.
He said “snowfall remains a possibility in parts of south Kashmir, with a 25-30% chance, and the highest probability is for the districts of Kulgam and Anantnag. Additionally, a few weather models indicate the possibility of the system extending to central Kashmir, potentially bringing light rain or snowfall during the period”.
In Ladakh region, light to moderate snow showers are expected in some areas of Kargil and Leh districts during this period.
The weather will remain dry hereafter till December 31 and another spell of light snow is expected at the isolated to scattered places during January 1 to 4.
There was no let-up in bone chilling cold in Srinagar and other parts of the Kashmir valley with night temperature continuing to fall at many weather stations on Friday.
The minimum temperature recorded during the intervening night of Thursday and Friday witnessed fall at Srinagar and recorded at -7.3°C against the -7.0°C on Thursday. This was 4.9°C below the average for the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir during this period of the season.
The continued cold wave and freezing temperature have seized taps, several water bodies and iconic Dal lake causing inconvenience to the inhabitants.
There was a slight improvement in the minimum temperature at the tourist spot of Pahalgam which recorded at -8.0°C on Friday against the -8.6°C a day ago. This was 3.4°C below normal for the tourist spot of south Kashmir’s Anantnag district during the period.
Qazigund, also witnessed a rise by a notch and recorded at -6.9°C against the -7.0°C recorded the previous night and this was 4.5°C below the average for the place on Srinagar-Jammu national highway.
The picnic spot of Kokernag in south Kashmir also rose by several notches and recorded at -4.8°C on Friday against the -5.5°C a day ago and this was 2.6°C below the average for the place.
The ski resort of Gulmarg recorded at -6.0°C against the -6.6°C on Thursday and this was normal for the valley of meadows in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district during this period.
The minimum temperature at Kashmir’s frontier district of Kupwara improved and recorded at a low of =6.4°C on Friday against the -6.7°C on Thursday and this was 3.4°C below normal for the border town during this period of the season, the MeT office.
UNI
