Night Temperatures Plunge in Kashmir, Pulwama Records Severe Chill
Valley shivers as sub-zero temperatures hit multiple districts, Zojila Pass freezes at -18°C
Srinagar, Dec 12: Kashmir experienced a deep freeze on Thursday as minimum temperatures plummeted across the Valley, with several areas recording severe sub-zero conditions. Pulwama emerged as the coldest inhabited location at -5.5°C, followed closely by Shopian at -5.0°C.
The summer capital Srinagar recorded -3.6°C, while its outskirts were colder, with Srinagar Airport dipping to -4.0°C. Other areas in the Valley included Qazigund at -2.8°C and Kokernag at -0.7°C. Popular tourist destinations also felt the chill, with Pahalgam and Anantnag at -4.6°C and Gulmarg at 0.0°C. Northern districts saw temperatures drop sharply Kupwara at -3.6°C, Baramulla at -4.7°C, and Zethan Rafiabad at -4.8°C, while Zojila Pass remained the coldest at -18°C.
South Kashmir witnessed intense frost, with Budgam at -4.3°C, Pampore at -3.5°C, Awantipora at -4.2°C, and Bandipora at -3.6°C. Sonamarg recorded -1.3°C, while Kulgam stayed slightly warmer at -0.6°C.
In the Jammu region, Jammu city settled at 8.5°C and Katra at 9.4°C, while the upper reaches felt the cold more intensely: Udhampur at 2.8°C, Bhaderwah at 1.9°C, and Rajouri at 1.6°C. Other districts included Ramban at 4.2°C, Samba at 3.2°C, and Kathua at 7.6°C.
In Ladakh, freezing conditions continued, with Leh at -7.8°C, Kargil at -7.0°C, and Nubra Valley at -6.3°C.
Meteorologists predict that the cold wave is likely to persist in the coming days as no major weather system is expected. “Dry weather will dominate for now, though higher reaches may receive light snowfall,” an independent forecaster said.
