Srinagar, Jan 29: Cold conditions in Kashmir continued to prevail on Thursday as night temperatures dipped below the freezing point at most locations across the Valley, officials said, though a few areas recorded slightly warmer than normal readings.
Srinagar city registered a minimum temperature of minus 0.6 degrees Celsius, marginally lower than the previous night’s 0.1 degrees Celsius and around 0.3 degrees above the seasonal average, officials added.
Sonamarg in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district emerged as the coldest place in Jammu and Kashmir, recording a minimum of minus 11.2 degrees Celsius, a sharp drop from the previous night’s minus 9.8 degrees.
The ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district recorded a low of minus 9 degrees Celsius, while Pahalgam in south Kashmir, a key base camp for the annual Amarnath Yatra, registered a minimum of minus 4.5 degrees.
In other parts of the Valley, Qazigund, the gateway town to Kashmir, recorded a minimum temperature of zero degrees Celsius. Kokernag settled at minus 0.6 degrees, while Kupwara in north Kashmir recorded minus 3.5 degrees Celsius.
Meanwhile, ‘Chillai Kalan’ the 40-day harsh winter period marked by extreme cold and increased chances of snowfall is set to conclude on January 30. The phase began on December 21 last year.
Despite the end of Chillai Kalan, cold weather is expected to persist, followed by the 20-day ‘Chillai Khurd’ (lesser cold) and the 10-day ‘Chillai Bachha’ (baby cold).
The Meteorological Department said the weather is likely to remain cloudy but dry till January 31. However, a fresh western disturbance is expected to affect the region from February 1, potentially bringing another spell of rain or snowfall.