Srinagar, Jan 11: The cold wave intensified across Kashmir as minimum temperatures plunged several degrees below the freezing point, officials said on Sunday.
Clear skies and biting cold led to the freezing of parts of Dal Lake and other water bodies across the valley. Srinagar recorded a minimum temperature of minus 5.2 degrees Celsius on Saturday night, marginally higher than the previous night’s minus 5.7 degrees Celsius. The city had witnessed its coldest night of the season on Thursday, when the mercury dipped to minus 6 degrees Celsius.
South Kashmir’s Shopian town emerged as the coldest place in the valley, recording a low of minus 8.6 degrees Celsius. Pahalgam, a key tourist destination and one of the base camps for the annual Amarnath Yatra, registered a minimum of minus 7.6 degrees Celsius.
The ski resort of Gulmarg in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district saw night temperatures settle at minus 6.2 degrees Celsius, slightly warmer than the previous night’s minus 6.8 degrees Celsius. Sonamarg in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district recorded a low of minus 4.3 degrees Celsius.
Qazigund, the gateway town to the valley, logged the season’s coldest night at minus 5.8 degrees Celsius. Kokernag recorded a minimum of minus 3.4 degrees Celsius, while Kupwara settled at minus 5.6 degrees Celsius, officials said.
Kashmir is currently witnessing ‘Chilla-i-Kalan’, a 40-day period of harsh winter marked by severe cold and the highest likelihood of snowfall. The phase, which began on December 21, will continue until January 30.
Notably, the plains of the valley are yet to receive snowfall this winter. The India Meteorological Department has forecast dry but cloudy weather conditions across Kashmir till January 21.