A man looks on as icicles are formed on branches of a tree, during a cold winter morning, at Pahalgam, in Anantnag district, Jammu and Kashmir.
Credit: PTI photo
Srinagar: As the Valley settles deeper into its early winter freeze, temperature across Kashmir plunged further below zero this week, prompting schools to announce staggered winter vacations—from November 26 for kindergarten and November 29 for classes up to middle school.
The decision comes amid a sustained cold spell that has pushed several districts to their coldest readings of the season.
Srinagar recorded a biting minus 4.4 degrees Celcius, while the higher and southern reaches dipped even lower. Shopian, blanketed in frost over its orchard belts, remained the coldest inhabited pocket at minus 6.5 degrees Celcius, followed by Pulwama and Baramulla, each touching minus 5.8 degrees Celcius.
Anantnag clocked minus 5.7 degrees Celcius and Pampore and the Srinagar Airport belt froze at minus 5.5 degrees Celcius and minus 5.2 degrees Celcius, respectively.
On the Srinagar–Leh highway, the crucial Zojila pass slid to minus 16 degrees Celcius, mirroring the Valley’s deepening freeze.
Yet Kashmir’s winter narrative stretches beyond temperature columns. The advancing cold marks the beginning of the Valley’s centuries-old winter cycle—an annual shift that reorders household routines, travel behaviour, and even food habits.
Markets have begun stocking dried vegetables, smoked fish, firewood, and the traditional kangri, the clay fire pot that continues to anchor Kashmiri homes despite modern heating.
Frozen water lines, a familiar winter challenge, have begun appearing earlier this year in parts of old city Srinagar and the upper belts of the valley. People reported routine freeze-related complaints even before the onset of the harsh 40-day ‘Chilla-e-Kalan’ period next month.
Orchardists—especially in south Kashmir—remain alert. While cold is essential for apple trees’ dormancy, growers worry that prolonged sub-zero nights could stress younger plantations. Many have advanced pruning schedules and protective measures as temperatures continue to slip.
Tourism operators, meanwhile, are watching the freeze with cautious optimism. The formation of thin ice sheets along banks of Dal Lake has drawn interest from domestic travellers, and inquiries for Christmas–New Year bookings have picked up.
Gulmarg’s sub-zero streak has raised hopes of an early ski season, though authorities say consistent cold is needed before slopes can safely open.
For now, as the Valley transitions further into its winter rhythm, the advancing school vacations reflect the first institutional adjustment to a season that is steadily tightening its grip across Kashmir’s plains, orchards, and mountain passes alike.